C O N T R A S T
by Rowan Jacobs
Summary: Life is like the ocean; it comes in waves, ebbing and flowing. Sometimes the water is calm and sometimes it's overwhelming. All we can do is learn how to swim.
1. Chapter 1

**C O N _T_ R A S T**

 **Chapter 1:** **Reunited**

* * *

Along the country road came a lone figure walking, a worn out rucksack was thrown over his shoulder while he casually whistled a cheerful tune.

It was none other than Sonic the Hedgehog that was on his way home from one of his many adventures around the world. He had just arrived back with his best friend, and also little brother, Tails - who he had helped get back in order over at his workshop. Although, Tails had insisted that he actually was a teenager now and could handle himself, only making Sonic smirk and ruffle the fur on his brother's head.

" _Go home to your fianceé already!_ " Tails had told him playfully before giving Sonic a quick hug and bidding him goodbye.

Sonic hadn't needed to be told twice as he gladly set off to finally get to see his dearest - Amy Rose.

So as he made his way down the road it wasn't without a certain haste in his step while also having a smile playing on his lips. After almost an entire month away from Amy he couldn't wait to just simply being in her presence. Her sweet singing on early mornings, the smell of baked goods wafting through the house, taking her out on dates, laughing together over silly little things and finally holding her in his arms as they fall asleep each night.

Oh, how he longed for her...

And the next thing he knew the little house came within his sight with a thin stream of smoke coming out of the chimney, he was reached by a whiff of a smell which instanly made his stomach yearn for dinner. Despite having eaten all kinds of different food from all around Mobius nothing could truly beat Amy's cooking but whenever he pointed out the fact she simply rolled her eyes at him while trying to hide a blush.

Now Sonic could see the house with the wooden picket fence surrounding it as well as the large garden. He diverted from the road and took the shortcut that led up to the side of the house via the garden, effortlessly jumping over the low fence gate leading into it.

The garden was truly something to behold as Amy had arranged and filled it to the brink with flowers of all kinds. Azaleas, hyacinths, lilacs, orchids, tulips, daffodils, and countless others Sonic couldn't name by heart, created a vast sea of colors one easily could get lost in. But what was most near and dear to both his and her heart were the roses blooming both high and low - on bushes, in garden pots and on vines that climbed along the facade of the house.

He admired the way Amy treated the garden with the uttermost care and devotion, she had a certain talent for making them grow even more beautiful than before.

And speaking of beautiful...

Sonic's ears was reached by the sound of Amy's melodic singing coming from around the corner of the house. He stopped in his tracks and for a brief moment only listened attentively. She would never allow him to actually watch her as she sang, merely letting him listen from afar or at least when she thought he couldn't hear her.  


Silently, he proceeded to walk around the corner and was met by the sight of Amy planting a fresh set of flowers into the earth.

"- _Then your fingers touched my silent heart and taught it how to sing."_ she sang in an almost absentmindedly manner " _Yes, true love's a-many splendored thing..."_

Amy's voice faded and just as if she had sensed his presence turned her head in Sonic's direction, her eyes widening and her mouth hanging slightly agape. But within a mere second her whole face changed into one of sheer happiness, the brightest of smiles stretching across her muzzle.

Those jade eyes gleaming in the sunlight.

"Sonic!" the girl cried as she quickly arose and with a leap flung herself into his waiting arms while tears of pure joy began to stream down her cheeks.

Sonic responded by lifting her upwards and spinning her around in a circle, an ecstatic laughter erupting from the both of them.

"Amy..!" he breathed as he tried to settle his giddy laughter.

In between the crying and laughing Amy started to plant dozens of kisses all over Sonic's face. The joy she felt whenever he would return to her was hard to contain and especially when he'd be gone for so long.

"Oh, Sonic! My dear, dear Sonic! I've missed you so much!"

Putting Amy back down on her feet, Sonic gently pushed her backwards and then placed his hands on either side of her face. He tilted it slightly upwards in order for their eyes to meet, his thoughts really couldn't justify the true beauty of her in real life. And simply looking into those shimmering jade eyes of hers made him feel weak in the knees.

The unconscious effect she had on him, and especially his heart, had in the past overwhelmed him but over the years he'd grown accustomed to it. The way his heart beat faster, how his usual smart mouth spoke to her with such tenderness, how he could get so caught up in her eyes that he'd sometimes forget what he was just talking about and how his entire body language adapted after her. Never would he handle her with any sort of accidental roughness, treading around her fragile body like it was made of glass.

"I've missed you too, Ames... You got my letters, right?"

"Yes I did, they were real sweet." Amy said, uttering a small giggle before getting a more wistful expression "It feels like you were gone an eternity this time, I thought it might get easier each time you leave but it felt like my heart was going to long itself to death."

Sonic gently stroked some stray tears away from her cheeks with his thumb. His eyelids lowered to a tender gaze while bringing her body closer to him.

"Aw, don't give me that gloom face. I know it's hard - I thought of you everyday... but I'm here now. So, where's that pretty smile of yours, huh?"

Naturally her smile returned while giving him an apologetic look "You're right, Sonic - I'm sorry. I know how much it means for you to-"

"Hey, Ames.. don't apologize." his eyes lingered on the golden band that graced her left ring finger "Nothing means more to me than you, okay? Nothing."

For a moment all they could see was each other as their eyes locked in a loving gaze. The sweet smell of flowers swept between them by warm breeze while their lips drew closer. Sonic, being the tallest of the two and still having his hands on her cheeks - slowly guided her face closer to his. So close that their breaths mixed with one another.

A light headed feeling spread through Amy's mind as she instinctively closed her eyes.

The sensation of her lips was nearly addictive, the sweet taste of cherries mixed with her natural scent of roses was truly heavenly. A feeling that beat anything Sonic had ever felt. Far more powerful than the sense of positive chaos energy flowing through his body.  


As soon as their lips parted, to draw in a quick breath, he brushed his lips against hers for a tender moment before once again closing the gap.

Sonic could hear how Amy's fragile little heart fluttered inside her chest and a mild fear that it was going to collapse if they kept going made him reluctantly pull away.

"Sonic.. please, don't stop." Amy whined slightly as she feebly tried to reach his lips again.

But he had already loosened his grip on her and now gave her an amused smirk.

"I fear your heart may implode on itself if I don't."

"I'm perfectly fine." she said with a small pout.

Sonic only uttered a chuckle, remembering the smell of food coming from inside the house he thought to use it in order divert her attention.

"So you're gonna let your poor fiance starve in order to merely acquire his _precious_ kisses, huh Amy?"

Amy blinked hastily as a mad blushed blossomed on her cheeks. With fumbling hands she pulled away from Sonic's embrace, giving him a sheepish smile.

"Of-of course not! I'm sure the vegetable soup is just about done now."

She hurried into the house through the kitchen door, leaving it open for him. Snatching up the rucksack from the ground Sonic then proceeded to follow her inside - pleased that his plan had worked.

Immediately upon entering the kitchen the enticing aroma from what he'd felt from the road hit him but with double the force causing his stomach to rumble. He'd only eaten some fruit for breakfast and Tails hadn't had any food left on the plane ride back home.

The kitchen was quite modest in size but Amy still loved it. From the ceiling hung a low hanging pot and pan rack which due to his tall height Sonic now and again would hit his head on, but for Amy it was necessary in order to reach without having to ask him for help.

He saw how she had already resumed a position by the cooking pot of what he assumed was the soup, a ruffled apron was tied around her waist. An apron Cream had given her last christmas, if he remembered correctly.

A merry tune coming from the radio over by the counter mixed with the pleasant sound of Amy stirring in the soup and making some final touches on it.

Noticing Sonic's lingering glance she merely smiled shyly back at him before resuming her focus.

Over on the wooden dining table, that had a set of unmatching stairs around it, Amy had decorated with a white lace tablecloth and neatly set the table with a big vase of flowers standing in the middle of the table. He figured she really wanted him to feel welcomed back home and her efforts truly did warm his heart.

Not wanting to disturb Amy in the midst of cooking Sonic continued into the living room where he dropped off the rucksack on the sofa.

He'd have to get to unpacking it later as it was full of keepsakes from his travel as well as a little something for Amy, she always loved it when he brought her souvenirs from around the world. Now and again he'd be given gifts from various villages or towns he'd rescued which could be everything from jewelry, small trinkets, good luck charms and even handmade masks.

Amy had particularly liked a really sweet smelling potpourri Sonic had been given by an elderly lady who owned a boutique in Apotos - she had, to his slight embarrassment, insisted that he'd give it to a girl he fancied. Tails naturally hadn't been able to contain his teasing snicker for the rest of that day...

The memory brought a fond smile to his lips.

Reckoning that he probably looked a bit ragged after a whole day of traveling Sonic went into the bathroom to get cleaned up before dinner. He turned on the bathroom sink and let some water fill his cupped hands before closing his eyes and splashing it on his face, feeling the droplets slowly running down his fur. It wasn't a pleasant feeling but still made him feel slightly refreshed.

Despite the fact that Sonic would soon turn twenty-two years old and had been forced to endure being both in and under water, particularly the ocean, many times his great dislike for it hadn't decreased in the slightest. He shot a glance at the bathtub behind him. Once in awhile Amy would try to convince him to take a bath, claiming how relaxing it was - but he always dismissed the idea and stuck to strictly showering. At least then he could pretend that it was merely rain rippling down his body.

Sonic reached for a towel and thoroughly dried off his face before hanging the towel back in place and then turning his head back towards the bathroom mirror above the sink - he took a moment to study his own reflection. In many aspects, Sonic still held the same resemblance as he did when he was a teenager - the same smooth cobalt blue fur, the same spiky quills, with his head spikes only having grown a few inches, and the same emerald eyes staring back at him.

However, if one looked closely they would be able to notice the subtle maturing features Sonic had developed over the past years. His lean figure hadn't just grown in height but there had also been a change of his physique, the built up strength due to extreme running and fighting showed itself on his body if only in the most subtlest of ways. To his partial embarrassment - partial secret pride, he had even grown a small tuft of chest fur. A fact which Amy had taken delight in as well, as she said it made his chest even more 'snugglier' - adding further to his embarrassment.

With a slight shook of his head Sonic proceeded to change into a new pair of pristine, white gloves. He flexed his hands briefly, feeling the soft fabric stretch with the curve of his hand. Then he suddenly heard Amy calling him.

"Sonic, dinner's ready!"

Without having to be told twice, Sonic immediately returned to the kitchen where the heavenly scent of newly cooked food hit his senses anew.

Amy had poured the soup into a rather large ceramic soup bowl and was now, with slightly wobbly legs, making her way towards the table. Thinking fast, Sonic quickly came to her aid.

"Let me take that for you, Amy." he offered with a warm smile, placing his hands over hers.

She gave him a grateful nod, letting him take the soup bowl out of her grasp before untying the apron around her waist and then joining him at the table. Sonic served them both a bowl each, filled to the brink with the steaming goodness, and then eagerly began to shove in a mouth full of soup. When he was hungry Sonic tended to forget all about table manners.

The flavory taste of the soup with its sliced vegetables spread a comfortable warmth through Sonic's entire body and made him savor each gulp of it.

"It's. Absolutely. Delicious..!" he said in between gulps causing Amy to giggle while she tried to give him a stern look.

" _Sooonic_..! Don't speak with your mouth full."

"I. Can't. Help. It. Ames! You. Make. Such. Good. Food. It's. Not. My. Fault!"

She simply rolled her eyes at him and got an excited gleam in her eyes.

"Well, if you're gonna speak then I wanna hear all about your travel! A whole month's worth of adventure can't possibly be covered in just a few letters."

"Yeah. Sure. Thing!"

Sonic halted his slurping, wiped his mouth with the napkin Amy reached him and began to, quite vividly, tell her about his and Tails' adventure - making wild gestures accompanied by self made sound effects.

Over the years, Dr. Eggman had grown tired of causing havoc mainly around Station Square and had tended to resort to using his bases all across Mobius. Though his schemes had not been as frequent as they used to be they had almost each time grown in scale, becoming more and more diabolical. All the more villages and cities were being targeted and even his once silly robotic creations seemed to have gotten a rougher edge to them.

Somewhere deep within his mind Sonic had a nagging feeling that the countless failed plots along with that his age had began to catch up with him caused the Doctor to become desperate. In the midst of showdowns Sonic could sometimes witness how brief glimpses of his declining sanity shone through his otherwise, well mostly, composed madness. He had at least promised himself that whenever the day came that the Doctor's mind went over the edge he'd do whatever it took to keep Amy as far away as possible.

Sonic didn't know for certain if Eggman was unaware of the fact that Amy was his fianceé but he strictly kept his engagement ring hidden from view under his glove, just in case. Only when he was at home did he put it on above his glove in the same way Amy wore hers. She had insisted that he'd also get a ring to wear so that they 'matched' - although he had settled for a much more simpler golden band.

To Sonic's initial surprise he actually liked the ring and whenever his eyes lingered on it his thought always strayed to Amy.

As he just finished telling her about the adventure and he'd just about emptied the entire soup bowl, Amy got a thoughtful expression.

"Oh Sonic, you really did leave out a lot in your letters. I just wish I could've sent any back to you..! Tails should get the Tornado it's own address or something."

Sonic gave her an understanding glance while smiling at the idea.

"I'll have to tell him that, heh! He sends his regards by the way."

"Aw, we should invite him over tomorrow, maybe have a picnic - I've sure been missing him as well."

"Dunno, Ames. Maybe Tails' is too cool, he's apparently a ' _big grown teenager that can take care of himself_ ' now." Sonic said with a fond smirk at the thought of his little brother's words.

"You're not one to talk, Sonic. You thought the same when you were fifteen... actually you probably already thought so when you were nine!"

Sonic faked an offended look, playfully wagging his index finger in front of her.

"Hey, I took care of the both of you, didn't I? Besides, I was _very_ mature for my age, truly a prime example of a responsible teenager!"

The two hedgehogs joined in a lighthearted laugh, both happy to be in each others company again after so long time. When their laughter died down Sonic turned his focus on Amy, reaching a hand across the table to gently grasp hers.

"Well enough about me already, now I want to hear about what you have been up to this past month."

"Oh, you know... the usual. Keeping the house tidy and taking care of the garden - I harvested all the edibles from the garden and made everything from jam to pickled vegetables. Vanilla even taught me how to make my own soap by using flowers from the garden, so now even you can smell like roses - tee hee!"

Sonic couldn't help but give her a toothy grin "I can't wait."

"Other than that I spent a lot of time with Cream, she's really growing into a sweet little lady! Well sweeter than usual at least. We have taken the train to Station Square a couple of times and went shopping in that fancy new shopping mall they've built. It's really nice actually and I bought the cutest dre- Sonic! You're bleeding!"

Amy's eyes had widened in alarm as she pointed at the side of his left temple where there trickled down a thin stream of blood out of a small cut, Sonic had absentmindedly scratched off the scab by accident.

"Oh? Well, would you look at that.." he said with a light chuckle.

However, Amy had jumped out of her seat and rushed to his side in order to inspect the cut, tilting in his head backwards as she did so. She breathed out a sigh of relief when she realized it wasn't that deep of a cut, but she still insisted that she'd clean it for him. Sonic let her drag him to the living room and place him down in the sofa while she went to fetch the first aid kit she stored in the upstairs bathroom.

When Amy hurriedly returned to him she wasted no time in starting to treat the cut, with caring delicacy she cleaned up the surrounding blood before putting a band-aid over it.

"Thanks Ames." Sonic said as she sank to her knees in front of him.

She didn't answer him and to his mild surprise instead reached her hands up to touch upon his frame as if she searched for something. Letting her fingers slowly slid across the subtle muscles on his torso up to his arms where she slid them down to the cuff of his glove that covered his hand.

"Can't keep your hands off of me, huh?" Sonic teased with a lopsided smile.

Amy's cheeks flushed in a rosy color while a bashful look settled on her face but still keeping her eyes fixed on his hand.

He couldn't help but think of how adorable she looked when she blushed. Her pure innocence making his heart surge with a strong sense of protectiveness.

Carefully Amy slid of the glove, revealing the peach hand underneath. His hand were much larger compared to hers which became more apparent as she held it. Her eyes observed how his knuckles had gotten slightly roughened as a result of all the years of fighting as well as tearing up robots. She also felt tiny scars upon the back of the hand and a larger one stretching across his palm, she delicately stroked a finger alongside it before ever so softly planting a kiss there.

With a twinge of guilt he realized that she'd been searching his body for any new set of scars.

"Amy..." Sonic breathed quietly as he noticed a sudden sadness reveal itself on her features.

"I hate seeing you hurt like this.." she whispered.

"It's just skin, Ames." he replied timidly, giving her a reassuring smile "Just scars on skin, nothing more."

But Amy merely shock her head and stared up into his eyes, almost defiantly.

"No, don't say that. I-.. I wish it didn't have to be like this... I wish I could protect you."

Sonic wasn't sure what she meant by the second statement, whether she was referring to their way of life or that his body had taken a few scars because of it, he couldn't tell. Perhaps she was hinting at something completly different. But hearing Amy's desire of wanting to protect him made him feel both perplexed and a bit amused - hadn't she realized by now?

Was she truly so blinded by her love for him that she failed to see that his own devotion ran just as deep for her? The ring he'd put on her finger wasn't just for show after all, he wholeheartedly intended to live by her side until the day he'd draw his very last breath.

"But you do protect me. Every second of every day you protect me, whether you're awake or asleep - wanna know how?"

She nodded, a curious glint visible in her eyes.

"My heart, Amy Rose." Sonic said simply "You carry it inside of you. Keeping it out of trouble for me. It doesn't matter how many injuries nor how many scars that may be inflicted upon me. Cover my whole body with them for all I care!"

His smile spread to a wide grin as he loudly exclaimed the last sentence, making Amy utter a brief chuckle. He lovingly entwined his hands with hers before continuing.

"All that matters is that you get to live a happy, peaceful life. Protecting that, and knowing that when I get home you'll be waiting for me is all I need. No one can ever truly hurt me as long as you're safe."

"But that in turn means that I'm the one carrying your heart, and no matter where or how far I may go - you're always with me."  


Small tears trickled down Amy's cheeks as Sonic took her into his arms, her face pressed hard against his chest as she wept quietly.

"Therefore, you don't need to worry if I will be returing home safely.. because I'd _never_ do anything to intentionally mistreat your heart. And for as long as you let me have it, I'll do whatever it takes to keep it secure and protected."

He had meant every word but was still shocked by his own sincerity, speaking openly about his feelings hadn't always come naturally to him in the past but Amy seemed to be one of very few people who managed to bring that side out of him. The tender sense of love they shared solely with each other could sometimes overwhelm him, and to some degree it scared him when how perfectly obvious it appeared in his mind that he'd unconditionally do anything for this girl.

But calming was the fact that Sonic knew that she'd never abuse it.

For a few minutes he simply kept his hold on Amy's small frame, waiting patiently until her crying subsided and she loosened her grip around him to look into his awaiting gaze.

"I'm sorry.." she said as she gave him a teary smile "You haven't been home for more than two hours and I've already buried you in tears like a big crybaby. I guess I'm not such a good fianceé after all."

"And I'm a pretty lousy fiance, aren't I?" Sonic sighed in a melancholy tone, giving her a matching smile.

They laughed briefly before their lips joined in a rather clumsy kiss, their foreheads butting against one another as a further bashful laugh escaped them.

In an attempt to rise the mood again Sonic gestured towards the rucksack that lay beside him on the sofa.

"Hey - I almost forgot, I have a gift for you."

He reached over to the rucksack and opened the top pocket lid, carefully taking out a slim object. When presented to her, Amy recognized it as a foldable hand fan.

Awaiting her reaction Sonic, with slight modesty, scratched the back of his head "Sorry, I hadn't anything to wrap it in."

Amy's face however lit up in admiration, carefully taking the fan and unfolding it - revealing the silk fabric adorned with a floral pattern which had been skillfully painted on both sides. To her delight the pattern resembled sakura flowers growing on its tree, she had always dreamed of having a real one planted in the garden. Imagining how she and Sonic one day, perhaps when they'd both grown old, would sit underneath a tree much like the one painted as gentle petals sailed down upon them.

She broke out of the mental image in order to give Sonic a affectionate look and embracing him in a tender hug.

"Oh Sonic, it's so lovely! Thank you."

"The merchant in Chun-nan told me that it's just as good for fanning as it is swatting flies away." he said with a smirk once they parted.

In the fashion to that of women in old black-and-white movies, Amy brought the fan to her mouth so that it hid her giggling from Sonic's view. In response he promptly faked a pout and playfully tried to snatch the fan out of her hands.

"Hey! No concealing of pretty smiles from me - that's my privileged right as your fiance. It's what I live for, for chaos sake!"

" _Sonikku_ , you big drama queen!" Amy chortled as she teasingly stuck her tounge out at him before quickly hiding behind the fan again, trying to lean out of his reach.

The use of her pet name for him from so many years ago still made his cheeks flush lightly in embarrasment. But two could play that game.

"Come on - don't be such a rascal, _Rosy..!"_

Amy shot the fan out to the side as she struck a dramatic pose which allowed Sonic to easily snag the fan and bring her close to him again.

"No fair..." she said as she now sat placed in his lap, their bodies opposite from one another. The position made her suddenly very aware of how much she'd missed being in physical contact with the male hedgehog - his body seemed to radiate a sort of natural warmth that made her feel utterly safe and at peace.

Regarding the more physical part of their relationship Sonic was quite the old-fashioned gentleman. His genuine desire of waiting to be able to call her his wife before they engaged in one of the very deepest expressions of love, made Amy feel deeply touched. She, on her part, felt no need to rush into anything of that sort either.

To Sonic, love was so much more than just that. He didn't lust for her body any more than his desire of simply being able to hold her close, hear the sound of her heart or experience the sensation of her gentle touch.

Amy was his to protect and his to love, just as he was hers.

The suddenly intense atmosphere and the almost tingling feeling between the places where their skin met caused a sense of seriousness to settle in the living room. They fell silent as their gazes locked onto one another, an unspoken fondness evident in both their eyes.

Amy was first to speak though it wasn't without a certain hint of shyness in her voice and entire demenour. She didn't wish to make him uncomfortable with what she was about to do.

"Erm.. Sonic?"

"Yeah?" he inquired softly.

"Can I-.. Can I try something?"

Sonic simply nodded.

"Do you mind...- closing your eyes?"

Slowly his emerald eyes disappeared behind his closing eyelids.

Without a seconds thought he had followed suit on her request, having not the slightest of clues of what might follow as he did so.

But not long after Sonic had closed his eyes could he feel how Amy's lips pressed against his cheek. The kiss was planted with such utter delicacy that he might as well have only imagined it, had it not been for the sweet scent of roses that drew closer to his nose as she bent forward to deliver it. Several more kisses were planted on his other cheek, forehead, temples, eyelids and even on the very tip of his nose.

Soon it felt like she'd covered every inch of his face with her lips and now softly brushed them against his.

And in a lightly dazed set of mind, Sonic concluded that this must be what it was like to be in total and uttermost bliss.

All of his senses were filled with Amy Rose.

He could feel how her skin shivered as he ran a hand up her back, bringing her closer. His lips could savor the taste of her cherry like ones. Heard how her heart beat hard against her chest. Her addictive scent...

And lastly he opened his eyes to witness this otherworldly angel that sat before his very eyes.

Lowering themselves on the sofa, Sonic's body draped behind hers and Amy's body curled up to his chest, they settled into a comfortable silence.  


Outside, the sun had lowered on the sky which now had been painted in a faint color of pink mixed with yellow and orange. To Sonic, the best thing about living out on the coutry side was to never have to hear the sound of traffic or people shouting as one did back in Station Square and the closest neighbor lived about a half hour walk away. Most mobians on this part of Mobius tended to be drawn more towards the big cities so there were few houses built outside of them even if small towns had started to grow forth for the past years.

Sonic was glad that at least the area around the Mystic Ruins where Tails lived had been untouched and that it wasn't on trend to build mansions there - he had a feeling Knuckles wouldn't take to kindly if it ever were to happen. Thinking of his hotheaded old friend brought a smirk to his face and he made a mental note that he'd have to visit him soon.

His eyes swept across the living room until it landed on the bookcase on the other side of the room, it was pretty broad and was lit up by the floor lamp that stood beside it. Often times he'd bring back books from one of his travels - bought either from old antique stores, which to his surprise could hold the most epic of adventure novels, or given as one of many frequent gifts. If a book ever were to be about for example science, astronomy or mechanics - Sonic would gladly pass it on to Tails who much rather read factual books than fictional novels.

Sometimes during late evenings Amy would, on his request, read aloud for him out of one of the many books. Sonic found that he loved to listen to her telling him the stories just as much as he liked reading them. Years of reading countless bedtime stories to Cream had made her a very good storyteller and her voice was never rushed or dull, even making voices whenever a character spoke. Though it sounded pretty funny when she'd try and imitate the more gruff characters voices due to her otherwise high and singsong tone.

"Ames?" he said quietly.

To get her attention, Sonic gently nudged a now almost sleeping Amy who blinked a few times before bending her neck backwards in order to meet his gaze.

He continued "Do you feel like reading me something, my little storyteller? I'm in a _dire_ need of hearing your voice."

And after all the time he'd been away from her, he truly was.

Amy seemed happily surprised by his request and her previous drowsiness was suddenly completely gone. She arose from the sofa, walked over to the towering bookcase and hesitantly turned her head towards Sonic.

"Which one do you wanna hear?" she asked.

"You pick one." he answered encouragingly.

Amy turned her head back towards the bookcase and contemplated which book she should pick. There were quite a lot them stored up on the shelves, mostly classic adventure novels since it was Sonic who stood for most of the reading in the household. While Amy did enjoy reading she wasn't much of bookworm, her scarce contribution of romance novels barely covered one shelf. Admittedly, she preferred watching the romantic scenarios unfold on screen instead rather than having to imagine them on her own - the couple in question would often end up looking a lot more like herself and a certain blue hedgehog, causing somewhat of a distraction.

Her eyes search the bookcase for a book fit for the occasion and eventually finds it - the " _Idylls of the King_ ", one of many books that tells of the Arthurian Legends. One of Sonic's absolute favorites.

Right next to the sofa stands an armchair which Amy sits down in before then proceeding to lean back and open up the book, placing it comfortably against her raised knees.

A particular story comes to her mind and she decides to go for that one.

She flips through the pages, halts as the title of the desired poem appears, and with a soothing tone begins to read the story of " _Geraint and Enid_ ". Sonic's ears perk up slightly as he recongizes it and for a brief moment Amy wonders if he got dissapointed that she picked one about romance. But Sonic merely gets a thoughtful look on his face along with warm smile - leans back on the sofa and closes his eyes to listen.

The poem depicts the story of the brave prince of Devon, who's also one of Arthur's knights, named Geraint. How he falls deeply in love with the beautiful Enid and later marries and settles down with her. Throughout the story their love is tested by both misunderstandings and jealousy which leads them to a dangerous journey where Geraint proves his chivalry and capability as a ruler while Enid repeatedly saves her husband from danger, thus proving her undying devotion to him.

"- _and in their halls arose the cry of children, Enids and Geraints, of times to be, nor did he doubt her more, but rested in her fealty til he crowned a happy life with a fair death. And fell against the heathen of the Northern Sea in battle, fighting for the blameless King_."

It was already dark outside when Amy uttered the last few lines of the story before closing the book with a soft thud. Just as she did so, Sonic's eyes opened and he said with an almost critical voice, as if he'd been waiting to voice his thoughts.

"I forgot how much of a jerk Geraint was. I mean - ordering his wife to not speak to him and pretending to be dead just so he could be reassured of her feelings towards him is not really chivalrous, is it?"

It was meant as a rhetorical question but Amy was quick to answer him, in an attempt to defend the fictional prince.

"Well, he did it so he wouldn't risk hurting her while he figured out if she'd been unfaithful to him or not, he did it out of love. Personally, I believe he always knew she hadn't but was merely afraid to get hurt..." she got a dreamy expression "Besides his judgement was clouded, also he defended her against that horrible earl and apologized to Enid after he realized he'd done wrong, which to me is very honorable of him."

Sonic merely snorted at this.

"He should've believed her regardless, and not cared so much about his status. A true knight-"

"Sonic, just because you've read about knights doesn't mean you know how to _be_ one." she interrupted playfully.

"Well actually, _I_ once-"

But he couldn't finish the sentence as she shot him a skeptical look while trying to stifle a laugh.

"Oh don't start with me."

The memory of how Sonic had once missed a date with her because he'd _supposedly_ been dragged into the world of King Arthur was still a sore subject.

They gabbed a bit with each other back and forth until Amy, mid-sentence, let out an abrupt yawn. It made Sonic cast a glance at the clock on the wall which showed that it was nearly nine o'clock.

He arose from the sofa and walked over to her seat, gently pulling her upright "Time for bed, Amy."

But Amy stood her ground when he tried to pull her with him. She took his hands in hers and gave him a pleading look.

"W-wait..! Can't we dance first? I've been longing so much for it when you were gone."

Sonic pretended to consider it for a brief moment before giving her a wide smirk and wink.

"Sure, whatever the lady wants."

Amy picked an old time song from their shelf of records and put it on the slightly old fashioned record player that stood on a table in the corner. It had, multiple times, been repaired by Tails who'd always point out they should just buy a modern stereo instead - to which Amy refused to listen.  


" _It has charm!"_ she'd say firmly.

With an authentic spark the record player kicked into action and soon a slow tune started playing accompanied by a pleasant male voice singing the first line of verse.

They went to stand in the middle of the living room before Sonic snaked his left arm around Amy's waist and with ease lifted her, so that she instead stood steadily placed with either foot on top of his shoes. That way the height difference between them decreased which made it easier to dance and she could just about reach up to rest her head against the upper half of his chest.

Sonic liked dancing in theory, or at least when you could dance however you wanted to, but dancing together - with someone else, added a whole new level of difficulty. At first he had often felt awkward and unsure of how to adapt his body after Amy's, she was so fragile that he worried that one wrong turn or too eager movements would end up hurting her. Even if she'd insist that she was perfectly fine, he would still be cautiously mindful of it.

Fortunately, Amy had picked a calm song which only required him to gently sway them slowly in the center of the living room.

He tried to keep somewhat of a pace with the rhythm of the song and Amy smiled brightly up at him as he every so often would dip her gently or lift her up to spin her around. The joyous giggles that erupted from her as he did so were much more like music to his ears than what came out of the record player.

Somehow it felt oddly strange. Mere days ago Sonic had been on the other side of Mobius, in the midst of battle while people's lives had been at stake. And now he was at home, dancing with Amy tightly wrapped in his arms - safe, and with an unfaltering sense of easiness in his chest.

The contrast was almost bizarre.

And then, for a brief yet dreadful moment, he envisioned how Amy stood among the rubble of destroyed buildings, screams of terrified mobians echocing around her while a maniacal laugh erupted overhead. How her ever so white gloves had been tainted by blood and dirt. Her sweet, innocent face streaked by tears...

The thought made Sonic stop his swaying abruptly and stare out into the dark night through the window - as if he could see the mad doctor's tainted glasses observing them while he grinned wickedly.

Instinctively, his grip tightened protectively around Amy as he pressed her towards his chest so that he shielded her from the imaginary stare of his arch enemy.

"Sonic..?" Amy looked up at him with concerned eyes, the sudden change in his posture had slightly startled her. "Is something wrong?"

The same instant her soft voice reached his ears and registered within his mind - did the imagined face dissolve into nothing.

Sonic tried to avoid her gaze without looking bothered, he simply couldn't bring himself to lie while looking her straight in the eyes.

"No, nothing. Everything's perfect."

He hastily flashed her his trademark smile which only seemed to confuse Amy even futher, but she decided to let it slide for now. If it were important Sonic would tell her, she figured.

"Okay.."

Taking notice of that the pleasant man's voice had died down, Sonic loosened his grip around her waist and let her back down on the floor.

"I guess I'm a bit tired, traveling must've taken its toil on me. I'm sorry - we'll continue tomorrow, I promise."

Amy walked over to the corner and turned off the record player before she returned to Sonic's side and wrapped her arms around his waistline.

Nodding reassuringly she said "It's alright, I'm sleepy too."

As if on cue yet another yawn escaped her lips.

Then, with a swift movement, Sonic lifted Amy into his arms and effortlessly carried her upstairs to their bedroom.

While Amy were changing and washing up in the attached bathroom, Sonic wandered into the familiar bedroom.  


The wooden furniture, that Amy had neatley painted in soft shades of white, stood where they always had and so did the double sized bed with its fluffy covers. The lamps on each nightstand were lit and spread a warm glow through the room.

He observed how the side of the bed where he usually slept looked a bit too sleek. For a moment he thought of how utterly lonely it must feel to sleep all alone in the big bed without anyone beside you. Guilt surged through his body like venom when he imagined Amy's petite form, who barely took up a third of the bed's size, laying in the empty bed. Alone. For days upon days...

" _Where is her hero then, huh? Her dear fiance?"_ a malicious part of Sonic's subconsciousness spat at him mockingly.

Trying to block out the voice, he went over to sit at Amy's side of the bed - where his eyes had detected the letters he'd sent to her - stocked neatly on the nightstand.

With slight hesitation Sonic picked up the top letter, the last one he'd sent only four days ago, and read his own, pretty sloppy handwriting.

" _Dear Amy,_

 _I hope you are feeling well. Things are starting to clear up here, Dr. R hasn't caused any more havoc for a whole day now, but we're hanging back just in case. We're clearing out stray robots in the area and Tails is helping with the reconstruction of the nearby village the best he can._

 _But don't worry, cause I know you will - the villagers are all safe and so is Tails and I. This is nothing we can't handle._

 _Anyway, It's almost been a whole month since we left home, weird isn't it? I'm missing you like crazy, Amy Rose... I can't wait to see you or to simply just hear your voice again. Every night as I'm about to fall asleep, I imagine how you're sitting among the flowers in our garden - watching as they bloom with that sweet smile of yours. It never fails to bring me pleasant dreams, and I promise that soon I'll sit right there beside you._

 _I really hope I will be able to return to you near the end of the week, If not - I will write again._

 _Tails sends his regards, he's beginning to get a little homesick now and he misses you as well._

 _Make sure to take care of yourself. I love you._

 _Yours, Sonic_."

When he was done reading the letter it felt like he'd sent it an eternity ago. As though it had been in another life. Written by someone entirely different. Someone who impossibly could be himself.

"I re-read them now and again... It made me feel a little bit closer to you."

Sonic turned his head backwards, and found that Amy had appeared through the doorway. She was dressed in a simple cotton nightgown that reached down just below the knees, showing off her bare feet.

Almost absentmindedly, he put the letter back on the nightstand before giving her a tender smile.

"I'm not really good with words.. though I would have loved to be able to get any back from you. I think we really should seriously consider getting the Tornado its own address."

"Next time-" and he saw that it hurt her to even think about a _next time_ , when he'd be forced to leave her. "I can write you letters in advance. Then you could open one whenever you'd start to miss me."

Sonic chuckled, a warm, almost childlike chuckle that melted Amy's heart.

"You'd have to write _a lot_ of letters then, Ames."

All of a sudden Amy leaped at him and swung her arms around his waist, burying her face in his chest.

His words had stung her more than she'd realized and she fought back any potential tears that might form in her eyes.

"You're not crying are you?" Sonic's voice sounded worried.

"No, I'm just... tired."

Even if the bed was merely a few steps away, Sonic lifted her into his arms and carried her towards it. Then, with uttermost delicacy, he laid her down beneath the covers before tucking her in. As a final touch he bent down to plant a kiss on her lips which she lovingly returned.

They parted and the same smile as before was back "There, milady." he said and arose.

Then Amy watched as Sonic proceeded to take of his shoes and socks. While he did so, she tried not to see how some of his bodily scars got highlighted in the faint glow from the lamps.

Now, save for his gloves, he stood completely naked before her and she couldn't help but blush shyly at the sight. Sonic was obviously always naked in a sense, but somehow it became more apparent when they were alone at night in their own bedroom.

To Amy - Sonic was more dazzling, and far more handsome than any fairy tale prince ever depicted. His sharp, athletic body also held a smooth softness. Deadly to his enemies. Gentle and caring to his friends and those in need.

He was already a young man while she still felt painstakingly underdeveloped and thin as a stick.

"What are you thinking about?" Sonic suddenly asked with a concerned voice, he had noticed her staring and also seen the slightly somber expression.

For a brief second Amy hesitated before uttering a sigh, feeling how the blush on her face deepened.

"You're beautiful..." she whispered, trying her best to suppress an all too dreamy expression.

Sonic gave her a lopsided smirk, clearly amused by the casual compliment "No need to sweet talk me, Ames. We're already engaged, remember?"

He raised his left hand where the golden band was unmistakably visible, as if to prove his point.

"How could I ever forget."

In the blink of an eye, Sonic had joined Amy in bed and almost instinctively she drew close to him to which he responded to by wrapping his arms around her body. He held her securely and everything in his world felt complete. His entire being was at peace and his heart sang with sheer euphoria.

The hero had been reunited with his princess.

The wind with his rose.

The fiance with his fianceé.

With a delicate hand he stroked her cheek before planting a kiss on her forehead.

"How I love you. My Amy..." Sonic whispered with such pure tenderness that it almost hurt to express his love in mere words "My Amy Rose."

Amy giggled softly as Sonic's breath tickled her while his words made her heart pound harder within her chest.

"Please, Sonic... kiss me." she pleaded helplessly.

For what felt like an eternity, Sonic continously carassed Amy's lips with his own, only ever breaking for short inhales of air. He kissed her with such delicacy that one might have thought she was made out of glass - that, at any given moment, could break beneath his hold.

A deep and yet distant yearning stirred somewhere within his soul, causing his heart to throb so violently that he thought it would get caught in his throat.

With great effort, Sonic reluctantly pulled away and laid his head back on the pillow "Well, that was something. You don't know the effect you have on me, Ames - one of these days you'll be giving me a heart attack."

Amy simply giggled bashfully as her cheeks flushed in a rosy color and her eyes sparkled happily.

They took a minute to calm their racing hearts. After awhile Amy uttered a yawn, gazed up at Sonic and asked -

"Would you sing me to sleep, Sonikku?"

Similar to how Sonic enjoyed listening to her reading, Amy loved to fall asleep to the sound of his voice. She'd read for him and he'd sing for her. A good agreement.

Sonic had never really considered himself of having an exceptionally good singing voice, but he still genuinely enjoyed it and sang regularly in the shower. Though then it was usually to distract himself of thinking too much of the pouring water.

"Of course."

"Our lullaby?" she suggested while shifting into a more comfortable position.

"Our lullaby." he echoed in confirmation and pecked her cheek "Close your eyes now, Amy. And try not to dream too much about me."

Amy playfully stuck her tongue out at him before settling down and closing her eyes, which suddenly felt very heavy.

The last thing she remembered of the night was how Sonic's voice lulled her into a wondrous and peaceful sleep.

When Sonic was assured that she'd fallen asleep, his voice gradually faded until it fell completely silent.

Uttering the last line under his breath " _Behold I give you the morning, I give you the day_."

It was an old lullaby. One that he'd used to sing for Tails during nights plauged by thunderstorms. The appeasing melody along with its lyrics promising of a brighter tomorrow had etched itself in his memory and had been there for as long as he could remember.

Maybe it originated from a parent he was unable to remember, or perhaps he'd made it up himself on one of those many lonely nights he'd experienced as a young child. Long before he'd even met Tails, Knuckles and Amy.

He shuddered at the thought and glanced down at Amy who rested her head so peacefully upon his chest. She had no parents to speak of, and it tore at his heart in a certain way. There couldn't have been much of them if they left her all alone in this world. Although, Sonic couldn't help but feel eternally grateful for whomever they might've been - they were the reason Amy existed after all. And without her, his own life would have been terribly empty...

By pure instinct, Sonic brought Amy even closer to him and protectively enclosed her in his arms.

"Dream sweet dreams, Amy." Sonic whispered before he gave out to his own tiredness "I'll be right here when you wake up."

And just as his voice had lulled her to sleep, he would get to fall asleep to the heavenly sound of her beating heart.

* * *

 **C** **redits:**

 **" _Love Is A Many Splendored Thing_ " - Sammy Fain / Paul Webster**  


 **" _Idylls Of The King"_ \- Alfred Tennyson**

 **" _I Give You The Morning_ " - Tom Paxton**


	2. Chapter 2

**C O N _T_ R A S T**

 **Chapter 2: Candle In The Wind**

* * *

Sonic looked different in his sleep. While sleeping he wasn't a big hero or the great saviour that people saw him as. He was just a young man. A mere boy, one might argue.

His eyes only lightly shut as if he, at any given moment, would be ready to open them and take in whatever would appear before him.

"Always prepared for the worst.." Amy mused as she carefully observed Sonic's sleeping form.

At first it had been difficult for Sonic to adapt to sleep in a regular bed, years of sleeping upon various rooftops, trees and on the plain ground had affected him quite a bit. He was a light sleeper and tended to move around a lot which might be caused by his legs itching to run. And due to his unusal high body temperature he rarely even needed to be under the covers, though he would often do so anyway in order to keep Amy warm during the night.

Amy studied how the early morning sun's light gave his face a soft shimmer, which higlighted his handsome features. His charming dimples that became even more apparent everytime he flashed that familiar smile of his. A smile that never failed to make her beam as well.

She wondered what he dreamed about, it must be something nice since no frown was visible and he lay almost completely still - if one didn't count the consistent rising and falling of his chest.

With a sudden yearning of hearing his heart, Amy ever so carefully moved in closer and laid her head gently on Sonic's chest which resulted in a clear hearing of the steady beating beneath.

It was at times like this that Amy wished she could sing just as beautifully as Sonic. If she had had any natural talent and not such a high voice she could've awoken him by singing soft tunes to him. Just like a nightingale. Though, she assumed she reminded more of a crow than a songbird.

A brief wistful sigh escaped her lips as she resumed her focus on his heartbeats, trying to keep count of how many that passed during one minute, then two minutes and then three... four...

Amy's mind wandered to yesterday. How Sonic had looked when he'd appeared, how their eyes had finally met again after so long time. That bright, tender gleam that so deeply had laced his stunning emerald eyes. His exciting stories during the dinner, the lovely gift he'd bought her, he wanting her to read for him, their playful yet gentle swaying in the living room...

Then she remembered.

The sudden expression of dread on Sonic's face. It had been there, if only for a second - she'd seen it.

What could possibly have triggered such a reaction from her otherwise always so fearless fiance?

A stray memory, perhaps, of something he'd seen on his recent adventure?

Amy didn't recall him telling her anything explicitly intimidating that could've resulted in a look like that. But, she argued, then Sonic surely would've told her about it, he'd let her know if anything was bothering him, right?

Sonic had gotten better at sharing his feelings with her, even when it came to the matters of the heart, but he rarely touched upon the things that worried him or made him anxious. A little bit of convincing on her part could sometimes make him ease his mind but most of the times he'd simply brush it off and soon enough the subject would be forgotten. Amy shamefully realized that she was easily persuaded by his distractions and charming smiles, maybe she should be more persistent in the future.

She took a firmer grip on Sonic's torso and buried her face deeper into his chest but still mindful of not awaking him quite yet. His natural scent was both familiar and comforting - fresh grass, wind and sunshine, the embodiment of freedom and a force of the very nature itself. To her, nothing could ever smell so appealing as him, and she wondred if her scent had the same effect on him. No, it wasn't possible.

Amy breathed him in while also taking the oppertunity to snuggle on a certain spot of tuft fur which she knew Sonic could get particularly embarrassed about.

The month they'd been apart suddenly felt even longer than before.

When the alarm clock on the left nightstand informed her that it was high time to start the day, Amy both reluctantly and with a sense of eagerness to spend the whole day with Sonic, lifted her head from his chest and reached her head up to his head.

"Hey sleepyhead, it's time to wake up." she cooed softly in his ear and then proceeded to carefully blow at his face.

Just as calmly as if he'd never gone to sleep, Sonic opened his eyes which immediately sought out Amy's, and simply stared at her for a brief moment. He looked slightly dazed but soon enough a warm smile spread across his muzzle.

"I must still be dreaming..." he said as he reached a hand up to stroke Amy's cheek "I dream that I've fallen asleep out in the meadows with the sky above me, and then I see her... - the beautifulest, most loving and gentle girl in the whole world, and she blows on me with her sweet breath and wake me from my sleep. And then I dream that I'm thinking: This is what it must feel like to awake in paradise."

Amy grasp Sonic's stroking hand in hers and holds it still against her cheek before reaching her head up and blow lightly in his ear. It sends a ticklish feeling through his body and he chuckles softly at her antics.

"You're not dreaming, silly." Amy giggled and laid her head down back on his chest.

"I don't know, Amy, I have pretty vivid dreams."

"Will a kiss convince you?"

Sonic gave her a playful smirk and raised a brow "Maybe."

Without a seconds thought, their lips found one another and Sonic has to fight every ounce of his being to hold back his strength and not kiss Amy too passionately. He knew that there was a chance that he wouldn't be able to stop and end up spending the rest of the day just laying here and caress her lips with his own.

They parted all too soon.

"Alright, I'm convinced." Sonic tried to sound dissapointed but it was really difficult after having just kissed his fianceé. Admittedly, his dreams could never truly beat reality.

As the sun gradually rose outside the window, they laid and listened to the flickies chirping lively from their tress, felt how the gentle summer breeze swept in and ever so slightly made the curtain flutter.

Suddenly the familiar itching sensation in his legs made itself known in Sonic's consciousness, naturally they yearned to run after a long night's sleep. Adrenaline shot thorugh his body like an automatic respone to this feeling and he could do nothing but oblige to the urge of running.

With an eager look on his face, Sonic arose from bed and walked over to the window. Gazing outwards, he saw the farstretching hills and meadows and at the horizon he could even detect the ocean with the sun reflecting a bright shimmer on its surface. The sight made his yearning grow stronger and he hastily turned around, only to be met with a pair of slender arms wrapping around his waist.

Somehow Amy appeared even more radiant in the morning light.

She gazed up at him, her face shining of sheer joy at getting to wake up by his side.

"Go running. I'll make breakfast in the meantime." she said, almost as if she'd read his mind.

As much as Sonic needed to run, he also wanted to please Amy and he figured that the every-day fiance didn't require running a few miles each morning - leaving his fianceé to tend to breakfast alone.

"It's okay. I can help you, if you want." he offered.

But Amy merely shook her head and got a slight frown between her eyes "Sonic, you know you can't cook. You'd only be in my way, besides I don't want a hyperactive hedgehog at my breakfast table."

"Heh, thanks Ames."

A grin, followed by a hasty hug and then Sonic disappeared out of the room, down the stairs and out the front door within mere seconds.

When he stepped out on the front porch he was immediately met with the smell of dewed grass and a whole mix of flowery aromas creating a most pleasent feeling. The sky promised a beautiful morning and an even beautifuler day, not a cloud as far as his eyes could see. It was at mornings such as these that Sonic felt he could easily run to the ends of Mobius and then back again, just for the thrill of it. But the thought of enjoying one of Amy's delicious breakfasts halted all further thoughts of actually doing so.

After having breathed in the sweet morning air, Sonic settled with taking a run that only stretched a few miles, but choosing a terrain that was slightly challanging. Got to keep his physique up, after all.

The rush of running at breakneck speed all the while dodging, sliding and jumping over occasional obstacles was something he'd never grow tired of. All that was missing was the potential threat chasing him, and it would've been complete. However, when he did a sharp turnaround at the very edge of a cliffside he at least had a goal to run back to - Amy surely was enough of a motivation to make him push himself even harder.

Back at house said hedgehog was busy preparing a lovely breakfast for her fiance. She'd changed into a pearly white sundress, put on a simple pair of slippers and curled the tips of her quills just a little bit. Her usual white gloves had been neatly put on and her golden bangles shimmered in the sunlight streaming in through the window, with the engagement ring twinkling especially much. The sight of it never failed to put a dreamy expression on her face and a smile to match it.

As Amy flipped pancakes she slowly started to daydream about how her day with Sonic would turn out like. Would they spend it just the two of them or should she suggest they take that picnic with Tails? As much as she wanted to have Sonic all to herself for just one day, she really had missed the little fox as well. He was just as much of a brother to her as he was to Sonic, and a family picnic was just as good as a romantic one. Besides, her and Sonic could spend the rest of the day alone afterwards.

Maybe an evening similar to the one yesterday?

The possible romance that could flourish a day as this made Amy swoon inwardly, and unconciously start to sing the first few lines of a sweet tune she thought of at the top of her head.

" _I'll be with you in apple blossom time_

 _I'll be with you and change your name to mine..._ "

Then, without first registering it, Amy heard how Sonic's melodious voice answered her from just outside the window. Though his singing was much more in tune and caused her entire being to halt for a brief moment.

" _One day in May, I'll come and say:_

 _Happy the bride the sun shine on today._ "

Almost as if on instinct, Amy closed her eyes, losing herself in the sound of his voice. Her heart beat increased significantly, to such degree that she thought it was gonna jump out of her chest and leave her falling to the floor.

" _What a wonderful wedding there will be. What a wonderful day for you and me..._ "

Sonic's voice faded. But Amy could hear how light footsteps approached her from the kitchen door, which stood ajar to let the fresh morning air in. She pretended not to hear him and casually continued the last few lines of the song - despite how the blush immediately rose on her cheeks.

" _Church bells will chime, you will be mine..._ "

Just as Amy was about to turn around and expose the blue hedgehog, Sonic had already snuck up behind her and embraced her. Softly, he whispered the last line in her ear;

"- _In apple blossom time_."

A short bell like laughter managed to escape her lips before they were captured by Sonic's gentle yet strong pair. Gladly she succumbed to his hold, kissing him back with an almost feverish longing, even though they couldn't have been apart for longer than half an hour.

The smell of slightly burnt pancakes interrupted their moment, causing Amy to quickly pull herself from Sonic in order to avoid further disaster.

"Aw Sonic, you distracted me. I can't focus when you're around." she pouted while trying to scrape the pan clean of burnt bits of batter.

Sonic, however, merely shrugged his shoulders, trying to surpress a smirk and giving her an innocent look - putting his hands up.

"Can't a guy serenade his girlfriend anymore? Besides - you started it, my little songbird."

"I didn't know anyone was listening, oh Sonic, you make me so flustered! Eek! My cheeks are burning, ooh!"

The bashful feeling made her cover her face with her hands and sway from side to side while muttering to herself. Luckily, this time there wasn't any pancakes to be left scorching. Though Sonic stared rather amused at her antics, shaking his head before he leaned over to deliver yet another kiss but this time on the top of her head.

"Come on, Ames, I'm just teasing ya. Let's eat those delicious pancakes of yours before they turn cold, eh?"

Gradually, Amy uncovered her eyes again, nodded in agreement and prepared the last of the breakfast on a big tray. Sonic tried hard not to snag himself a piece of the neatly stacked pancakes or muffins, it hadn't occured to him how hungry he actually was after his morning run until now.

They made their way out into the garden where Amy had already set up the little round garden table with plates tableware. It stood right beneath a rather large and lavish apple tree.

A pleasent conversation followed as they enjoyed their breakfast in peace. Soft rays of sun shone through the hanging branches above them, which also gave them slight shade. Now and again the summer breeze caused small white flowers to loosen from the tree and come sailing down, some getting stuck in Amy's quills and Sonic's spikes.

By his fourth muffin, Sonic had already gulped down double the number of pancakes, three tall glasses of fresh squeezed orange juice, a bowl of handpicked berries mixed with nuts and a bunch of marmalade sandwiches. He had longed to eat a proper breakfast for weeks now and Amy rarely disappointed Sonic nor his stomach - it was truly delicious.

Absentmindedly, he reached an arm upwards with the intention of grabbing an apple from a low hanging branch when he remembered that it wouldn't bear any fruit until the end of summer. Instead he got a handfull of white flowers, which he stared mildly surprised at when he lowered his arm again. Amy giggled at the sight and even more so when Sonic lifted said hand to his mouth and softly blew the petals in her direction, causing them to whirl around for a bit before finally settling on her dress.

"Te-he! Look at us, Sonikku - we look like flowers!"

Sonic grinned while also running a hand through his spikes, brushing off some of the petals "You, definitely. I don't know about me, though."

Taking a sip of her coffee, Amy then brought up her idea about the afternoon.

"So I was thinking we could get that picnic with Tails today, and maybe invite Cream to come along as well. I don't think Knuckles would come down from Angel Island just for a picnic though..." Amy put a finger to her cheek and pondered the probability of that scenario, coming to the conclusion that he most likely wouldn't.

"Well no matter, Tails and Cream will do just fine! Plus it's a great way to catch up with each other and enjoy the sunny weather."

Sonic raised a brow, slightly surprised by her suggestion. He'd been sure that Amy would want to spend some time alone with him, maybe suggesting they go to a fancy resturant or watch some new flick at the cinema.

"A picnic? are you sure, Ames? You don't wanna do something more, eh, special, you know - just the two of us?" he asked.

"Of course I'm sure, Sonic! What's more fun than spending some time with our friends, besides I still get to be with you and that's special enough."

"Well then, sure thing! A picnic would be cool, I even know the perfect spot, you'll love it."

"Great! I'll call them right away." Amy said before she quickly arose from her seat, a bright smile on her face as she left to skip inside the house. Giddy as ever.

The sky promised them a beautiful day.

* * *

Later at noon, the four friends all sat in Tails' plane - the brightly yellow colored Tornado, with its broad wings soaring through the skies. Sonic, of course, didn't techincally sit in the plane but rather stood on top of the left wing, just as effortlessly as if he'd been standing on the plain ground. Years of training and his impeccable ability to keep his balance made such bold maneuvers possible, although to this day Tails still couldn't help but to occasionally glance backwards to see if his older brother still remained upon the wing.

Behind Tails' spot in the pilot seat, there were two passenger seats who were occupied by Amy and Cream. The cream colored rabbit girl had her cinnamon-brown eyes fixated on the view below her. Even if the plane ride wasn't a long one and she had had her fair share of rides, she still couldn't help but always get astonished of how beautiful the landscape looked from up above. The rolling green hills, wide meadows, shimmering oceans and lakes simply took her breath away.

Cream, now at the blossoming age of thriteen, was very much the same sweet, kindhearted girl as she had always been. Still keeping up her well-mannered personality as well as her well-spokeness, though through the years her calm nature has somewhat been affected by Amy's more outspoken personality. Perfectly capable of holding her own and sticking up for others, especially those who can't do it for themselves.

Traits that all came in handy as she was currently enrolled in a private school in Station Square, which she went to a couple of days each week. Her mother, Vanilla, had wanted her daugther to get a good education - not out of any elitist intentions but rather as way of giving her something she had never been able to get herself. School was a loose concept in most places across Mobius and nothing children were entitled to at a certain age. Therefore private schools was an option for those who had high ambitions within specific areas, so mobian children tended to enroll at the beginning of their teenage years when they at least had somewhat of an idea of where they wanted to take their lives.

Cream had been dubious at first when Vanilla had suggested it but had pretty quickly grown fond of going to school, meeting children her own age and even doing homework.

Amy, however, had been inquiring her if there were any boys she found cute, to which Cream would only blush and change the subject. Her pink friend still strongly doubted that it could've escaped anyone's attention that Cream was a very pretty girl, already resembling the beauty to that of her mother.

"Come on, Cream, you can't tell me there hasn't been a single boy who's caught your eye." Amy tried to inquire once again, turning around in her seat to look at the rabbit behind her.

"I'm telling you the truth Miss Amy." Cream patiently answered as she softly patted her chao friend Cheese who laid curled up in her lap "Besides, I don't think mama would approve of anything like that."

"She wouldn't have to know anything, it could be like a secret love, oh - a forbbiden love! Wouldn't that be romantic!"

Tails, who unfortunately had been forced to listen in on the, to him, awkward conversation suddenly glanced back at the two girls in the rearview mirror and with a teasing voice said- "Amy, just because you found your future husband when you were eight doesn't mean the rest of us will."

Instead of a scarlet blush blazing up on her cheeks, Amy put on a proud smile and stuck her tongue out in Tails' direction.

"It wasn't by any serendipitous chance that I met Sonic, you know. It was fate, and if it weren't for the fact that he's such an old fashioned gentleman I would have married him on the spot!"

Cream and Tails burst out in a wholehearted laughing fit to which even Amy caved in on. Soon they heard how someone loudly cleared their throat and found that playfully Sonic shook his head at them.

"Since I'm the gentleman in question, I can confirm that she proposed to me at least fifty times the first year we knew each other."

"I did not!" Amy defended before muttering under her breath "Maybe a dozen.."

As Tails announced that they would soon be reaching their destination Sonic took a quick sweep of the ground below.

He turned his head towards Tails and asked "Hey little buddy, you know where to land, right?"

"Yeah, I know the place."

"Good. See you guys on the ground!"

Then, before any of them could even blink, Sonic stretched out his arms and let himself fall backwards off the wing.

"Son-" Amy began but he was already out of sight, she sighed and shook her head at her fiance's antics.

Free falling from planes was nothing new to the blue hero, he'd done it more times than he cared to count but that still didn't take away the excitment of each time he did it. It was similar to the rush he got while running except that he couldn't do much to affect the speed he fell at, it usually ended all too soon. So the bigger the heights, the better.

"Woohoo!" Sonic hollered as he came crashing through the air.

All too soon did the ground come closer so Sonic curled up his body in a ball like state and braced himself for the impact. Just as he was about to crash into the earth he flipped himself backwards and landed on his two feet in a crouched position, striking a pose. His head shot up, revealing a cocky grin before he shot forward like a bullet and started running towards the Tornado, which was just about to land a couple of hundred meters up ahead.

With the smooth precision of someone who's done countless of landings, Tails managed to just about grace the ground gently with the plane wheels until it came to complete halt and the enigine died down. Cream and Amy applauded cheerfully while Tails offered them a modest smile, taking off his googles and jumping out of the pilot's seat.

"Took you guys long enough, I was just about to start growing a beard down here." Sonic said as he went up to his little brother and playfully patted him on the back with one hand while ruffling his bangs with the other.

Tails shot an elbow in Sonic's ribcage as hard as he could, but the older hedgehog barely felt it and merely chuckled at his attempts to get him off of him.

During the years Tails had done a lot of growing but he was still a head shorter than Sonic, to his big annoyance since he'd always dreamed of being taller than his big brother. Though as an attempt to cheer Tails up Sonic would remind him that he was only fourteen, and that he was probably still growing.

Sonic's behavior had naturally rubbed off on him but mostly in a good way, Tails had still kept his rational side though he'd grown to accept that not everything had a logical explanation. However, that still didn't mean he wouldn't try and find one. His childlike optimism had always made him very inventive and to some degree he was much more grounded than his older brother.

"Hey, cut it out..!" Tails laughed and his usual silvery voice still had a scratchy tone to it, which he'd had ever since he was little.

"Not a chance little buddy!"

The two boys continued to horse around until Amy loudly cleared her throat, getting their attention.

"Ahem! A little help here?" she said and held out the big picnic basket she'd packed from the side of the plane.

"Chao, chao!" Cheese added while folding his tiny arms.

They both smiled sheepishly and hurried over to help the two girls out of the plane.

After having walked for awhile, with Sonic leading the way, the four friends reached one of the many meadows. It laid just at the outskirt of a grove of trees and on the side of a steep hill - leading down to the beach. The waves rolled peacefully against the golden sand, creating a pleasant backdrop to the vast meadow which, to Cream and Amy's equal delight, was to the brink filled with wildflowers of all the colors of the rainbow.

Cream, who could barely contain her excitement, hastily hugged Sonic around the waist - exclaiming "Oh, thank you for taking us here Mister Sonic!"

"Do I know how to pick the best spots or what?"

"You sure do, it's great! Come on Cheese, let's play!"

Amy laid out the plaid picnic blanket on the more grassy part of the meaow in order to not disrupt the flowers too much. She then placed the basket in the middle of the blanket before taking a moment to simply appreciate the beautiful scenery. Carefully, she closed her eyes and breathed in the summer air, the brisk ocean breeze mixed with the sweet smell of inumerous flowers. To top it off the light laughter of Cream ans Cheese had already started to spread across the field. It was impossible not to smile at a time like this.

Suddenly she felt how Sonic grasped her hand, gently squeezing it and planting a kiss on top of her head.

"Do you like it, Ames?"

Amy leaned her head against his arm and squeezed back "It's perfect, how come you haven't showed me this place before?"

"There's a lot of places I haven't shown you yet, but all in due time and all that." he said with a slightly teasing voice though still trying to suppress his excitment at the thought of one day showing said places "Some spots are reserved for certain occasions."

Slightly baffled at Sonic's uncharacteristic crypticness, Amy eagerly tugged at his arm.

"Occasions such as..?"

But Sonic just chuckled warmly at her impatience, a mysterious glint sparkling at the corner of his eyes.

"Patience is a virtue, petal."

"Said the most impatient guy on the entire planet."

When Sonic merely grinned at her she huffed "Aw.. you're no fun."

The hedgehog couple then watched as Cream and Cheese played among the flowers, until the young rabbit abruptly stopped and put a hand over her stomach. A low rumbling noise could be heard.

"Miss Amy, I think Cheese is hungry." she said as she proceeded to run up to Amy with Cheese hot on her heels "Can we eat the picnic now?"

Amy affectionately patted Cream's head, stroking back her long ears before bending down to her level "Of course, sweetie." then she poked her nose with her index finger causing Cream to giggle.

Tails, who had already placed himself comfortably on the blanket, looked up with hopeful eyes. His own culinary skills was quite limited, mostly consuming can food or managing basic recipies Amy'd taught him. Therefore she would invite Tails to dinner as often as she could, and even sending Sonic to deliver him lunch packages whenever the blur blur goes on his daily runs.

On the initiative of Vanilla they'd even began to have traditional Sunday dinners at the Rabbit's household. No matter how busy any of them were, they'd always try their best to take the time and gather for these occasions. Amy was very pleased about the arrangement and would think of it as a sort of family dinner - always warming her heart when they all sat together and laughed, ate and talked about the past week.

With deliberate delicacy Amy unpacked one delicious dish after the other out of the picnic basket while three pair of eyes eagerly watched her every move.

Soon the blanket was covered with - enormous club sanwiches, a bowl of pasta salad, two bottles of lemonade, freshly baked brownies, and a various mix of wrapped candies and cookies.

"This was the best meal I've had in weeks." Tails finally said as he reached over for his umpth piece of mint candy. He'd stretched out on the grass and stared up at the blue sky, bearing a very satisfied expression and a full stomach.

"Yeah, you truly outdid yourself this time Ames." Sonic agreed, letting out a content sigh. Despite having eaten a hefty breakfast, he'd still been the one to eat the most out of the four of them - having just finished his fifth brownie.

Cream was in the midst of feeding Cheese grapes, carefully plucking one at a time and handing it over to the blue chao's awaiting arms. Each time he chewed down on a grape, a joyous chortle erupted from him, immediately prompting for another one. The rabbit stopped briefly in order to turn towards Amy and bow her head in gratitude. "Thank you very much for the picnic, Miss Amy. I'm sure mama would've loved it too!"

"You really think so? I was gonna make a blueberry pie as well but I figured it wouldn't fit in the basket. Perhaps I can make one for our Sunday dinner instead."

"Oh, please do! Cheese and I could come over and help you tomorrow morning if you want."

"Chao!"

Amy clasped her hands together, smiling brightly at the pair "Absolutely!"

"I already can't wait for dinner tomorrow..." Tails murmured dreamily with half lidded eyes.

As if on cue, laughter instantly broke out around the blanket.

Much like a painting, painted in the softest shades of a palette was the view before Sonic, where he lay with his head propped up against the picnic basket. The pastel blue sky above held not even the smallest of clouds, it was completely under the sun's regin that shone down upon the four friends.

Among all of the countless colorful wildflowers walked Cream and Amy in a calm daze, occasionaly picking up only the most loveliest of them. Soon enough they both had a bouquet each full of flowers in every shape and size.

Sonic heard how they agreed to make flower crowns out of their bouquets, so they settled down amidst the meadow and quickly got to work. When he listened to their gleefull chatter and felt how the sun warmed his entire being while also hearing Tails' faint humming - Sonic realized that there truly was nowhere else on Mobius where he'd rather be than right here. With his best friends. Together on a lazy summer day...

And in that moment, he allowed himself to drop the burden of being a hero off his shoulders. Today he was Sonic, just a normal guy like anybody else.

Elevated from the darkest, most destructive worries of his mind.

At least for today.

"That's a pretty one, Miss Amy!" Cream said, admiring the flower crown Amy'd just finished making.

"Thanks, I made it for you."

The young rabbit gasped slightly before smiling in absolute delight as Amy neatly placed the crown upon her head.

As far back as Cream could remember she'd made flower crowns with the pink hedgehog, who she held so dear that she might as well could've been her real sister.

"There." Amy concluded, proudly "Now you look just like a real flower queen."

Cream giggled and handed her the crown she'd made, it was decorated mostly with white flowers such as poppies, chamomilles and primroses. Skillfully had they been woven together with small forget-me-nots, which's blue color stuck out nicely against the white.

Amy accepted the crown and adjusted it properly on her head. Then she arose and twirled for Cream to see "How does it look?" she asked.

"Ooh..! You look like a bride now..." the young girl breathed in awe.

And with the white sun dress shimmering faintly in the sunlight and curled quills to accompany the flower crown, Amy did indeed look very much like she was ready to walk down the aisle.

"Let's make crowns for the boys as well!"

"Yeah!"

"Chao, chao!"

The two girls, along with the help of Cheese, eagerly made two new, and slightly bigger, flower crowns. When they were satisfied with each one crown, they went over to Sonic and Tails while giggling gleefully - both bearing rosy cheeks.

As he saw the trio approach Sonic hastily pretended to be watching the sky, even adding a casual whistling while he was at it. Only when they stood before him did he acknowledge their presence.

"Oh, hey you two." he said, smirking "How did the flower picking go? I think I just found a wild rose myself.." his eyes were purposely directed at Amy, who immediately blushed at the remark.

"Sooonic..!" she gushed, covering her cheeks and swaying sweetly on the spot.

"We have made flower crowns for you two." Cream said brightly, showing off the two crowns she held in her hands.

"Flower crowns?" Tails asked slightly dazed from having laid down on the ground for so long.

Sonic on the other hand, promptly sprang to his feet and grinned excitedly "Sweet!"

Cream then gave one of the crowns to Amy before making her way over to Tails who smiled modestly as she offered an especially colorful crown to him. He took a moment to study all the different types of flowers.

"Ah, a cosmos bipinnatus..!" Tails exclaimed with a smile at the sight of a particular cerise colored flower.

"Is it that pretty pink one?" Cream inquired as she and Cheese settled down next to him.

Tails nodded eagerly before poiting to another one "Yeah, and this one is a campanula rotundifolia. It's funny cause it's actually-.."

And then Tails proceeded to tell Cream about all the various types of names of the flowers that adorned his crown - delighted to be able to share his knowledge with someone else.

Sonic and Amy exchanged a knowing look before the blue hero discretely led her a bit futher out on the meadow. Then he turned towards her and smiled warmly at how beautiful she looked with the white flowers adorning her head. Like a flowery halo it highlighted her green orbs in a breathtaking way, causing him to go weak in the knees when she also smiled back at him.

Cream had reffered to her as resembling a bride, but Sonic thought she looked more like a princess that could've been taken straight out of any worthy storybook.

"So.. I assume that one's for me, eh?" he said with a lopsided smirk, gesturing at the flower crown Amy held in her grasp.

Amy nodded, suddenly feeling a bit shy at being under Sonic's full attention and affectionate gaze "Kneel, please." she requested timidly.

Without question Sonic sunk down to one knee, theatrically putting a hand over his heart as he did so. He bowed his head slightly before Amy neatly put the crown on him - giggling at his antics. No matter how old he got or how many battles he endured, he still had a boy's heart...

She straightened up and decided to humor him.

"Arise, my brave knight."

The smirk on his face widened.

But before he stood up, his hand gently grasped her left one and planted a kiss directly on top of her engagment ring. The gesture almost made Amy tear up as she in return let said hand graciously stroke his cheek. Swiftly he arose, bringing her hand along in the motion. With delicacy he pressed her hand closer against his cheek, closing his eyes as he let the sensation savor in his mind.

Sonic marveled at how something as small and fragile as Amy's hand stroking against his cheek could put his entire being at such complete and utter ease. The sliky fabric of her glove felt comforting against his bare skin. Nothing on Mobius could possibly ever feel as soft as her touch or give him as much strength.

Right before letting her hand slip out of his grasp he gently squeezed it three times. Opening his eyes he was yet again met with the sun bathed meadow, gazing tenderly at Amy.

"Thank you, milady." the playfulness was back on his face as well as in his voice.

"May I kiss thee, my knight?" Amy asked softly as she drew closer to Sonic, her eyes gazing up at him with such pure innocence that it tugged at his heart.

"You most certainly may."

Amy had to stand tip toed in order to reach his face but even then Sonic had to bow down slightly, tilting his head for the best angle but then politely waiting for her to deliver the kiss.

She traced her lips on the outlines of his, barely brushing against them until she delicately closed the gap between the pair. The taste of his lips was spicy and felt strangely forbbiden yet so tempting and inviting at the same time. To her it was like kissing the rash, untamed wind itself - having captured it only for a brief moment.

And how the wind fell in love with the rose...

As a natural respone Sonic's arms encircled her, gently drawing her closer as he fought the urge to lift her up in order to bring her even closer and deepen the kiss. A small voice in the back of his head reminded him that his little brother and Cream was still present and that it might not be very appropriate.

For a hedgehog such as Sonic it was still an accomplishment to hold that conviction for more than two seconds until he thought-

"Ah, to heck with it!"

Then without further ado he promptly lifted Amy up in his arms, both of his arms holding her around the waist as her feet dangled freely above the ground.

"Sonic-" the surprised girl managed to utter before her lips were captured by his once again.

Sonic smiled through the kiss and even more so when Amy broke into a fit of giggles, interrupting the act but still being just as enjoyable to listen to. With an excited laugh erupting from himself, he started to playfully swing her around in circles around the meadow - causing flower petals to go haywire in every direction.

"Ahaha! Sonic, careful..! The- flowers..- hahaah!"

Their laughter drew the attention of Tails and Cream, who glanced over at the pair with sparked interest. Even Cheese had started to chortle happily at the sight, possibly wanting to join in on the cheery mood.

"They truly do look lovely together, don't you think so too, Tails?" Cream inquired kindly, letting out a soft, absentminded sigh.

Tails eyed the pair and recongized the look in his older brother's eyes. it was a certain expression he held solely for Amy. An utter warmth, fondness and with an undescribable adoration - like a blind man who sees the sun for the first time. Despite the times he'd occasionally tease Sonic of his infatuation with her Tails knew that his brother wouldn't be able to live without her. She was the air in his lungs, the beat in his heart, the light in his eyes and the spring in his step.

And the young fox couldn't be happier for him.

"Yeah, they do..."

Over at the other side of the meadow, near the lavish grove of trees - Sonic had finally halted their spinning and now carefully put Amy back down on her feet. She wobbled slightly, bringing a hand to the side of her head while trying to stabilize herself. Taking notice of it, Sonic instanly snuck an arm around her waist in order to prevent her from falling over.

"It's alright - I gotcha, Ames." he assured, offering her a somewhat apologetic smile.

As the world came to a stand still, the first thing Amy's eyes caught sight of was something gleaming within the grove. It was sudden and maybe not even real but it had looked like metal claws gripping around a tree and then... rubies.

Not beliving her eyes, she blinked rapidly to get the dizziness out but when she looked again - nothing. The grove stood just as silent and empty as it had before.

It had happened so fast that not even Sonic seemed to have taken notice of her staring. He casually adjusted her flower crown which had gotten slightly ruffled up after their twirling, his own only hung loosely from his right ear.

"...Sonic, did- did you see that?"

"Hm.. What? Where?"

"Over there, just now."

Amy pointed toward the grove.

"Nope, sorry. I was busy looking at you. What was it, a critter or something?"

She shook her head "I don't know.."

Sonic gently took her hand which instantly made Amy turn her head towards him and almost forget what she was talking about.

"Hey, you're probably just dizzy." he chuckled while stroking her bangs from her face "Let's head back to the others and get ya something to drink."

"Okay."

But before Amy could take a step Sonic had scooped her up in his arms, giving her a playful wink.

"Allow me to carry you, milady. And don't worry, I promise I'll take it slow."

They made their way across the vast meadow, and Amy couldn't help but steal glances at him now and again as he carried her. The dizziness had settled and she could now fully focus on every detail of his handsome face. In the beaming sunshine his facial features appeared even more dreamily, even the little scab from yesterday couldn't diminsh him. If anything it added to his heroic apperance. When he cast her a glance, catching her staring he cracked a silly smile while she hastily averted her eyes to her lap.

After having rejoined with their three friends again and drinking some much needed lemonade, Tails suggested they'd head down to the beach. Granted, Sonic was intially hesitant against the idea but gave in when Cream and Amy pointed out that the ocean was calm and no waves could get to him on shore.

Cheese had decided to stay behind and instead take a nap in the basket.. and maybe eat up the rest of the candy.

They reached the slope of the hillside that lead down to the beach and halted at its edge to stare down. It seemed like it was a clear way down with only a few rocks sticking up from the ground.

Sonic got an idea and turned towards his friends with a smug grin "What do you guys say, anyone up for a little competition?"

"Sure!"

"Absolutely!"

"What kind of a competition?" Amy quipped in, curious.

"Simple, we all roll down the slope and the first one to reach the bottom wins." he gestured down the hillside before striking a pose "I know it might be unfair to compete against the fastest, most awesomest thing alive-"

Tails coughed.

"-so to make it a bit more fair, I'll give you guys a head start."

"How gracious of you, Sonikku." Amy said, faking a sweet voice before quickly laying down on the ground and with a kick of her foot - start rolling down the slope "Come on guys!"

Tails and Cream wasted no time in following her, both laughing giddily as they set off the with a surprising amount of speed.

They more or less tumbled rather than rolling all the way down, but it went fast and sometimes they barely managed to steer out of the way for rocks. Still it tickled nicely in the stomach and their laughter echoed all the way up to Sonic who still hadn't started yet.

But as soon as the others had gotten halfway down the slope he got into a crouching position, his soles balancing on the edge of the hill as he grinned widely. Soon enough, a ball like figure came dashing through, shooting past the other three like a bullet.

"Hey, No fair!" Amy managed to shout over the wind, getting herself a mouth full of grass and dirt in the process.

When Sonic was merely a few meters away from the bottom he untaveled himself and with the built up momentum from the spin - kicked himself off the ground and somersaulted in the air. Landing perfectly on his feet at the very spot where the grassy slope meet with the sand dune, marking the end of the hill.

Before him the beach stretched out on both sides, reaching all along the coast line and he had to admit that even the ocean looked quite peaceful at a day like this. The warm summer breeze caused only a few lazy waves to roll up on the golden sand, otherwise it lay completely still like a mirror. Reflecting the sky above with the sun creating an almost sparkling glimmer on top of the water's surface. As if little drops of sunlight had fallen upon it, adorning the ocean.

Taking a deep breath of the fresh ocean breeze, Sonic failed to notice that his friends all came tumbling down on the sand dune behind him.

Tails was the first one to arise, he put both hands on either side of his head "Ahh.. my head's spinning..!" he said, dazed but still with a delighted look upon his face. Amy helped Cream up on her feet before dusting off her dress and then proceeding to do the same on Cream's. She hoped Vanilla wouldn't mind about the grass stains all too much.

Sonic approached them, a smug grin gracing his lips "Well, it looks like I won. Where's my price?"

"We didn't agree on a price." Cream pointed out.

"Besides-" Amy cut in and gave her fiance a disapproving glance "You cheated, we were suppose to roll down the slope - not spin dash."

"Spin dashing is still technically rolling, just more like a ball." he argued, trying to stifle a snicker.

Tails, who always tried to be diplomatic, took off his flower crown and stared at it briefly before voicing his thoughts "The price could be all of our flower crowns." he suggested, glancing over at the two girls and they nodded in agreement. Even if Amy still pouted when she reached over hers.

Granted, the crowns had gotten quite roughened up by their rolling down the slope, with some of the flowers having fallen off, but they still looked decent enough to be worthy as price.

When Sonic held the four crowns in his hands, he winked and gave his friends an encouraging smile "Now, let's build a sandcastle, whatcha say guys?"

He was met with an enthusiastic cheer from the tree of them, and they all eagerly began to get to work right away.

Despite them not having any buckets or spades - the gang still managed to build a rather neat little sandcastle. They sculpted critter like figures and drew different shapes in the sand with their fingers. It turned into a very pleasent time, sitting together in the warm sun and hearing the waves roll peacefully up on the shore. Once in awhile, sea birds would shriek above their heads, some even landing close by to examine what they were doing.

When they felt content with their work they went to collect seashells, interestingly shaped rocks, feathers and other pretty things to use as decorations. During his hunt for seashells, Sonic had stumbled upon a piece of drift wood which gave him an idea of what he wanted to do with his price. On many of his travels around the world he'd seen mobians sending out objects into the ocean on special occasions, it could be everything from flowers to lit up candles. He guessed it had some sort of symbolic meaning but he'd thought it to look very beautiful nonetheless.

Deciding to save it for later, Sonic put the piece of drift wood with the flower crowns and returned to the others, who had already started to decorate the sandcastle with their own findings.

Amy had found a bunch of white seashells along the shore and also a bigger pink shell, which looked very much like a heart. Those she had put on the castle walls and finally the heart shaped one as a bridge leading into it. Tails had found a broken glass bottle amongst the rocks and carefully picked the biggest shards and put them on the sandcastle so that they remsembled windows. And Cream, along with sticks and small stones, had brought back a long, elegant looking feather which she put at the top of one of the towers. To her delight it actually fluttered like a flag in the light breeze.

Sonic whistled impressed at the sight and declared that such a grand sandcastle as this deserved to have a name. So they sat quiet for a moment, trying to come up with one.

"What about Sandopolis?"

"Sand Blast City!"

"Ocean Palace..!"

"Castle de la Sonic!"

The other three stared at the blue hedgehog.

"Just kidding!"

Amy rolled her eyes playfully at him before turning towards Cream "I think Ocean Palace is a great name."

"Yeah, way better than mine." Tails admitted and gave the rabbit an encouraging smile.

Sonic nodded in agreement.

In front of the sandcastle, among all the little sculpted critters, Amy wrote in the sand with her finger, "Ocean Palace" it soon stood in squiggly letters. When it was done she clasped her hands together, tilted her head slightly to the side and admired how it all had come together. It wasn't rather pretty, quite the opposite - it looked crooked and nothing was symmetrical, but at the same time maybe that's what made it so perfect.

A wistful feeling overwhelmed Amy however when she realized that the sandcastle wouldn't remain forever. All too soon the waves would reach it and wash away all evidence of that it had ever even existed in the first place.

It might've been a silly notion to cry about, but for some reason the fragility of reality shook her deeply and made her instinctively reach for Sonic's hand. His grasp was always strong and stable, casuing Amy to feel completely secure again. She carefully squeezed it three times and almost as a natural response he gently squeezed hers back.

The rest of the afternoon they spent playing on the beach - they played ball with a large cooconut, had races up to the slope to then roll back down, made sand angels and splashed around in the shallow water which ended in everyone trying to get Sonic the wettest. It ended with all of them falling face first into the sandbank when trying to catch him.

Ultimately the four friends decided to end their day together by sitting at the shore, where the waves barely reached their feet, and watch as it slowly drew closer to dusk. The heat of the sun didn't hold the same intensity anymore, but had settled to a comofrtable warmth. A softer shade of blue had been painted across the sky that soon would blend together with the ocean that still appeared mirror like. The stillness was complete.

"This is one of my new favorite days." Amy suddenly said earnestly, her jade eyes staring out towards the horizon "I almost wish I could stay and re live it forever."

"It's not over yet." Sonic reminded her, before arising from the ground "Hold on, I'll be right back."

The others stared after him, curious as to what he was up to.

When he returned with the piece of drift wood and the four flower crowns, Tails was the only one to understand what he'd use them for.

To Cream and Amy's confused expressions Sonic began explaining "You see, in some places on Mobius people put little boat like thingies out on the ocean or rivers as a symbol of some kind. It can be for celebrations or memorial, a sort of remembrance I guess." the trio watched him put the driftwood on the shallow shore, placing the flower crowns on top it and how it easily managed to stay afloat "I figured we could send this one off as a way to remember this day."

"That's a nice thought." Cream said in a sincere tone. She smiled at the idea of an entire ocean filled to the brink with small flowers in every color drifting across its surface. And how beautiful it must be to see such sight in person.

"I can do it." Amy volunteered.

She kneeled down and took off her sandals before wading out into the water - bringing the driftwood along. The fold of her dress floated around her much like the petals of a flower. She enjoyed the refreshing feeling of the cool water against her bare skin and how nice it was to have the ocean floor beneath her feet.

When the water reached her to the waist, Amy finally stopped and let go off the piece of wood. With a gentle push she sent it out towards the openess, towards the horizon and towards the unknown...

The four flower crowns sailed further and further away until neither of them could see it anymore.

* * *

Later that night, Sonic and Amy laid in bed and talked about their day together with their friends. He agreed that it was one of the better days he'd had in a long time, though he argued that the day before was even better due to their reunion.

Soon enough, they had huddled close together and simply enjoyed the silence that had settled in between their little talks. But Amy's mind couldn't help but wander.

For awhile now, actually during most of the time that Sonic had been away, Amy had started to have thoughts about the future. She was eighteen after all and when the fall came she'd turn nineteen, and Sonic would turn twenty-two in only a couple of weeks.

Despite the age gap, she felt a childish sense of satisfaction over the fact that she had never lived in a world without Sonic. It was hard to imagine that there had been a time before him, that he hadn't always been a natural part of the planet like the wind or the very earth itself. He had been a hoglet and after that grown into a kid, a kid that all too soon had developed into a teenager and from a teenager he'd matured to the young man that now laid beside her.

Ever since they had become a couple, Amy had pondred over the future less and less. Somehow it hadn't seemed all that important anymore - though lately she had found herself thinking of it a lot. Maybe Sonic had thought of it as well?

Amy turned her head to the side, and gazed at Sonic's resting face, he looked peaceful enough to fall asleep.

With a gentle tone she uttered- "Sonic?" he hummed to let her know he was listening "Do you ever think about the future..?"

It took a while before he replied "Sometimes, I guess. And as it looks right now - my future couldn't be any brighter." almost subconsciously he reached for her left hand and grasped it - gently stroking his thumb across the golden band she wore "I have the most amazing friends, I get to travel around the world and help people in need, poke fun at Egghead now and again... and oh! - There's that guy in Station Square that gives me free chili dogs every Tuesday!"

Amy rolled her eyes playfully and Sonic gave her a goofy smile that soon changed into a more sincere one "But most importantly, I know you'll be in my future." he glanced at her, curious as to what this all was coming from "What about you, Ames, what do you see in our future? What do you dream about?"

For as long as Amy had known Sonic, she'd dreamed about him. And even though it was embarrassing to remember how she, back in her early teenage days, used to proudly proclaim Sonic as her future husband it was what she'd wanted most of all. To this day, that dream still remained. Even if her younger self hadn't understood the more complex and mature aspects of marriage or what happened afterwards, and she suddenly realized neither had she really thought about that part either.

Sonic had promised her marriage - some day. The golden ring on her finger was proof of that. But then what?

In all honesty, Amy knew that simply living by his side for the rest of her life was enough - ring or no ring. And, to some degree, she didn't necessarily even need him to love her. Simply being his friend would've been fine or merely acquittances bearable. As long as she had been certain of her love for him and that he, with or without it, would've been happy.

But luckily, Amy lived in a world where Sonic did love her and they were engaged. Truly anything beyond this point was mere bonus in her life - an additional piece of heaven she was allowed to experience.

So if her mind was to dream freely of what might happen in their future she could only really think of one thing-

Children.

And for a wonderful moment she imagined a smiling baby boy that was an exact copy of Sonic, how she'd cradle the little hoglet in her arms while Sonic in turn would have his arms around her, and how his voice lulled their child to sleep as she rocked it gently. Then it was hard not to envision a whole bundle of little hoglets running around their feet, all little copies of themselves.

For someone who'd never had a family, Amy genuinely held hopes to create one of her own. Though she wasn't sure if her fiance shared the same eager... They had just about become adults after all. It would be brought up eventually, right?

Amy concluded that she didn't want to freak Sonic out by mentioning children right now, so instead she offered him the closest thing to an honest answer she could give.

"I dream of us." she said earnestly "You and me, living together and all the adventures that might follow."

While Sonic looked deeply touched by the thought of it, he didn't look quite convinced "And what adventures would that be?" he inquired softly.

"I-I don't know.."

"Come on, Ames, you're a terrible liar." Sonic said with a smirk, and crooked a brow.

Amy pouted and tried to hide her blushing face in the crook of his neck "You'll only laugh at me..!"

His playful expression subsided and was instead replcaed by a warm look that shone brightly of tenderness. Then he gently cupped her face between his hands, stroked her cheek with his thumb and stared deeply into her eyes.

"You can tell me anything, I promise I won't laugh."

And when he looked at her with such sincerity and heard the genuine concern in his voice it was impossible not to reveal her thoughts.

Hastily, Amy averted her eyes the best she could.

"Sonic, have you-..." her voice faded, she sighed deeply before forcing herself to meet his gaze again "Have you ever thought about having kids?"

Sonic was quiet for awhile, choosing his word with great care until a wistful smile spread on his lips.

"No, I can't really say that I have."

Amy tried not to look hurt but guessed she didn't succeed very well because Sonic's hand softly pressed hers in a comforting way.

"You... you don't want any?"

"It's a bit more complicated than that." his eyes got distant and his brow furrowed slightly - as if he was remembering something unpleasent "When I was alone... before I met you and Tails. I used to think- I guess I was angry at... my parents. I couldn't understand how someone could abandon their kid like that. How could anything be more important than taking care of your own kid..? And when I met Tails, orphaned before he'd even turned five..."

He halted himself and cleared his throat before continuing.

"I saw myself, Ames. I saw myself in him. Alone and scared with no one to count on but yourself. The only difference was that I still saw hope in his eyes, hope that someone, even a hopeless hero like myself, would be his friend. But he became more than my friend - he was still a kid but I cared for him more than that. I despised the word parent so instead I chose the word brother. Although, looking back, I was probably more like a parent than a big brother, at least at the beginning."

A more content expression took form on his features as he talked about Tails. Then suddenly his gaze shifted back towards Amy and that tender look that was solely evident when he looked at her appeared.

"And not long after that, I met you. That was something different than with Tails, I felt more like... a protector. I simply knew, the moment I laid eyes on you, that I would stop at nothing to keep you safe. And well.. the rest you know. My point being that, we never really needed our parents and what's worse is that if we had had them... then we never would've met."

Sonic's frown deepened "I know it's an awful thing to say, but I can't help but feel glad, even thankful, for the way things turned out. And if I'd have a kid... I guess I'm worried that I wouldn't be able to be there for it.."

His eyes became distant and an ice cold feeling grasped his heart in an iron like grip.

"What if something were to happen to you or our kid because of me, if you got hurt or someone would come after you simply because I am who I am. And what if I then left you out of guilt and became just like my own parents..? What if I turn out just the same."

It was Amy's turn to stare deeply into his eyes and embrace him harder.

"Sonic the Hedgehog, don't you dare speak or even think like that! You would never be able to do that, never. You'd be a great father, please don't ever believe otherwise..."

She hadn't realized that silent tears had begun to stream down her cheeks, and she firmly wiped them away before continuing.

"I don't care how many children we ever end up having as long as you stay by my side." Amy sniffled and buried her face deep into his shoulder "And even if we got in danger, I know that you'd never let anything happen to us. You'll always protect me."

Sonic lovingly stroked her quills while he obeserved his fianceé in silent wonderment. The cold feeling in his chest melted and instead got replaced by an inexplicable warmth.

If Amy had such strong faith in him, how could he ever afford to doubt himself?

"Our own little rose buds..." he finally said with a mindful expression.

Then his face morphed into a bright, carefree smile and a heartfelt laugh escaped his lips that caused his whole body to shudder with laughter. He swiftly rolled his entire body to the side so that he, without putting any weight on her, hovered over Amy's small frame.

"Can you imagine that?" he asked playfully "Little versions of you and me running around and they sure would be running, alright - for, well, obvious reasons."

His laughter affected Amy too and their previous somberness was like blown away.

"How would we ever catch them?" Amy giggled.

He pretended to ponder the question, goofily twisting his face into concentration "We could put trackers on them and perhaps put lead in their shoes."

"Would that have stopped you?"

"Probably not, but it'd be worth a shot."

Sonic chuckled and rolled off of her to lie back on the bed before his expression changed into a more serious one. He looked her straight in the eyes and said with a gentle yet dismissing tone -

"But that's in the future, Ames. Years ahead in the future... We are still very young, and right now my plan is to first and foremost make a world that's safe enough for you to be my wife in."

The moment the last sentence left his lips he knew that he had said too much.

"What do you mean?" Amy asked with a mild surprised look.

"Nothing. I'm just not really the safest guy to be around." He tried to look convincing when he rolled his eyes.

A heartfelt giggle erupted from her. "I think I have some experience with that."

"You should have better judgement with who you intend to marry, Miss Rose. I'm just a penniless hero, after all." Sonic said but his words wasn't without some sort of seriousness in them.

Being a world-renowned hero didn't exactly come with riches or high status advantages. Not that he'd ever seeked out any fourtune or fame when he "took the job" so to speak. If anything, Sonic despised the idea of getting any privileges whatsoever by doing something that, to him, felt so naturally. Saving people in need and defending planet Mobius was so deeply rooted within him that it might aswell have been etched in to his soul. And to preserve freedom and justice for everyone was what he lived for.

But that also meant that he couldn't buy Amy any fancy dresses, not buy her a big house or an expensive wedding ring adorned by diamonds. Despite the fact that he knew that she wasn't anywhere close to being shallow or concerned by material things, it still sometimes hurt knowing that he couldn't give her everything that she deserved.

Reluctantly, Sonic envisioned how Amy, instead of him, got married to a wealthy businessman. How she'd live in a luxurious penthouse in Station Square with a husband that didn't have the fate of the world on his shoulders - a husband that could always be there for her. Hold her close without having to worry about his enemies coming after her, wear his ring without having to hide it. Kiss her passionately as the sound of happily playing children echoed around them...

A sudden rush of resentment shot through his body. An irrational feeling of hatred and jealousy towards the faceless man who had his arms around the imaginary Amy Rose who had a diamond ring as big as a fist gracing her finger.

"Sonic..." the voice of the real Amy Rose interrupted his thoughts as she had inched closer to his face, trying to catch his gaze, and when she did she smiled tenderly and continued softly "You are the only man for me, the only man who I have- and ever will love. I could live anywhere as long as I'd have you."

The kiss that followed was filled with so much love and affection that Sonic immediately felt guilty for having thought of her being with someone else. She was just as bond to him as he was to her, and that bond was forever unbreakable. It was simply impossible for it to have ended up any other way. No matter how much he felt skeptical regarding the concept of fate he knew that this was the one exception - he and Amy were connected far beyond what his own imagination could fathom.

Soul mates was the only definition Sonic could think of being close enough.

He eagerly returned the kiss, brought a hand up the back of her back while the other one reached up to gently grasp her quills and press her head further down which also caused their kiss to deepen. When they parted their eyes locked and slowly began to undo the lacing of her nightgown.

"Amy..." Sonic whispered and looked at her with a hint of hesitance evident in his eyes.

"Don't worry.." Amy reassured.

And when he came with no objections, she easily undid the last lace before becoming notably still. Her eyes held a silent anticipation but also a hint of shyness as she didn't quite dare to meet her fiance's gaze. A rosy blush had appeared on her cheeks and she lightly bit her under lip in an almost childlike way.

Sonic didn't know what to think as he stared at the most adorable sight he'd ever seen in his young life. What had he ever done to deserve this virtuous rose that asked nothing more of him than to simply love her just as dearly as she loved him. His heart welled with mixed feelings of protectiveness and longing to feel every inch of her body.

Delicately he put his thumb and index finger below her chin and directed her face forward in an attempt to lock eyes with her beautiful jade ones.

"My sweet rose..." Sonic whispered tenderly as he pecked each of her rosy cheeks.

With a trail of kisses he made his way down to the top of Amy's nightgown, where the lacing had been fully undone but didn't yet reveal of what was concealed underneath. Carefully, he let his hands brush aside the cotton fabric and then continued to plant kisses down the middle of her chest. Amy's natural smell of roses mixed with her soft moans of satisfaction caused a lightheaded feeling in Sonic's head, and it was an absolute fulfilling sensation.

Amy's hands pulled at the puffed sleeves of the nightgown in a mindless attempt to get the rest of it off, but didn't succeed. Sonic, however, took notice and halted his actions and then proceeded to sit on his knees and pulled Amy along with him.

They now sat before each other on the bed with Sonic's body slightly towering over hers. His hands traveled up her spine and stopped at her shoulders to then swiftly slip off the rest of the upper half of the nightgown. Then, with half lidded eyes, he observed how she slowly but surely slid out of the bottom of the nightgown.

Sonic rested his eyes on Amy's now fully naked body - so petite and delicate that he barely dared touch upon it. But in the end his curiosity took over, and he guided her so that her body got placed astride on his waist. Due to her sitting on his thighs, she got slightly elevated and could almost look at him in the same level, his neck just slightly crooked.

They embraced each others bare forms and could for the first time experience how they felt purely skin to skin.

To Sonic it was close to being addictive the way her entire being shaped after his own.. How Amy's breasts softly pressed against the subtle muscles on his torso, the way her breathing seemed to adapt to the own risings and fallings of his chest, how their hearts synced up to one another in an unison beat and her lips instinctively began plant kisses upon his body while he let his hands explore every curve of hers.

" _This must be heaven_..." Sonic thought as a wide smile spread on his muzzle.

Amy seemed to be thinking in a similar way and didn't know whether she should laugh or cry tears of sheer joy. Never, even in her wildest imagination, could she have foreseen how it would feel to be this close to Sonic and be caressed with such gentle, caring and loving strokes. And deep within her still innocent mind, she knew that this was only the beginning of something deeper.

A spark of desire bloosomed up deep within Sonic's chest and he carefully lowered Amy down on the bed with his own body following suit, hovering above hers. His lips kept caressing her and he knew he wouldn't be able to stop himself unless she asked him to. For a split second he wanted to go back on everything that he knew and simply dedicate his entire life to this very moment. Nothing seemed important anymore except the very girl before him.

It was such an otherworldly sensation that Sonic got startled by his own desire "Please..." he breathed before kissing her again "Please, ask me to stop."

"I don't want you to stop.." Amy whispered.

And as predicted he didn't, Sonic continued to caress her body and spent even more time planting kisses upon it.

With flaming red cheeks they uttered moans that erupted as a natural response to what they were experiencing. Their bodies acted as though they had always known exactly what to do at this very moment, as if they had been made for each other and now reunited in a sweet composition of love.

At long last however, the exhaustion overwhelmed the both of them and forced Sonic to break out of the trance. They caught their breaths and stared at each other, bashfully yet vividly aroused. They joined in a heartfelt laughter which caused them to playfully fool around until they ultimately fell into a rather tangled mess.

When their laughing finally faded, Sonic covered them with the blanket that lay at the end of the bed and brought Amy's body close so that he could warm her. Amy happily accepted the gesture, she snuggled up against him and sighed once her head found its place in the crook of his neck. His arms wrapped around her securely before giving her a gentle squeeze.

"One day, Amy... one day I will show you just how much I love you." Sonic whispered softly "But that day you'll be wearing two rings instead of one and I'll have to adress you as Mrs Rose."

"I prefer Mrs Sonic the Hedgehog, if you please." she giggled.

"No way am I going to force you to take my name." he chuckled. Not that it even was a proper last name.

"It's tradition."

"A stupid tradition."

"Fine... Mr Rose."

The last rays of the sun had just disappeared behind the horizon when the two hedgehogs finally fell asleep.

* * *

Amy was safe.

Sonic's emerald eyes told her so.

Despite her inability to know exactly how she'd gotten off the Little Planet, she had covered her eyes and shut them so hard that it'd almost hurt, she knew that wherever he'd taken her it was somewhere safe.

The dangerous part was over - Never again would anything ever separate them.

As soon as Sonic placed her down on the ground she threw herself in his arms and the young hero responded by giving her a light pat on the back.

"Oh, thank you so much for saving me!" Amy said in a sing-song voice and twirled around in a circle, the orange skirt flowing smoothly.

A confident smirk. Sonic flicked his nose and winked at her, striking a pose.

"Heh, it was no biggie! I'm just glad you're okay, Rosy."

"That's not actually my real name..." she said and suddenly looked a bit shy, scarping her foot in the dirt slightly "It's Amy. Amy Rose"

Sonic blinked.

"Amy Rose." he echoed and Amy already liked the way he said it, as if he was uttering a beautiful word in a foreign language. "It suits you."

Blushing cheeks and bashful giggling erupted from the pair.

Then it happened.

The ground beneath them suddenly quaked so violently that it knocked them off their feet. A deep crack formed, placing Amy on one side and Sonic on the other. At a rapid pace the crack deepened and sent them further apart.

"No..." Amy whispered with a terrified look on her face "No, no! Sonikku!"

She crawled to the edge of the crack and stretched a hand out to her hero.

Desperate to not be left alone. Not again...

"Don't worry Amy! I'll be right there!" Sonic shouted heroically and prepared to leap across the ever growing abyss.

Amy firmly closed her eyes. She didn't dare to watch.

But with surprising ease, the blue hedgehog managed to fling himself forward with such force that he landed completely safely on the other side.

However, when he landed he was no longer eleven but instead fully grown up and scars that shouldn't yet be there for another couple of years, was etched onto his entire body.

Not that she had any way of knowing, but Amy still felt that somehow those scars were her fault.

It had started to rain. The sunny weather had transformed into a full-on storm. Behind the hedgehogs, Little Planet crashed into Never Lake which sent an enormous tidal wave towards them.

Panic shot through Amy's body.

Sonic couldn't swim.

She just knew that without having any proof of the matter.

But it didn't matter because something else grabbed her attention. Out of the abyss there suddenly arose a metalic form with razor sharp claws and eyes so red that it looked like blood.

Metal Sonic.

"No! No, no, no! Sonic run!" Amy screamed while trying to push away the much taller hedgehog.

Sonic merely smiled. That bright and tender smile he held solely for her.

"No one can ever truly hurt me as long as you're safe."

The phrase sparked a memory that wouldn't even be able to be a memory for another decade.

With fearless eyes her hero threw himself at his robotic copy, ready to die for her.

Metal Sonic's claws pierced through Sonic's chest. Blood splattered his still smiling face.

Amy could only watch in complete horror and scream until she no longer had any air left in her lungs "Sonikku!"

She sank to her knees with a sudden intense pain erupting in her chest.

Then she realized.

The blood on Sonic's face wasn't his own, it was hers.

It was her chest that Metal Sonic's claws had bore through.

It was her heart that had been pierced.

Amy was the one who hit the ground - dead.

* * *

A shrill, bloodcurdling scream was the first thing Sonic became aware of as he awoke from his sleep with an abrupt jolt forward. Within mere seconds, his mind was as sharp as in the midst of battle and adrenaline shot through his veins while he stared around wildly in the dark bedroom.

It was pitch black but his hands somehow managed to turn on the lamp that stood on the nightstand which in turn spread a faint light through the room. When his eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness, they instinctively drew towards Amy's quivering form.

She had curled up into a ball and feverishly pressed her hands over her eyes as if she desperately wanted to claw them out of their sockets. Out of her throat, came yet another gut wrenching scream and her entire body twisted in an uncomfortable angle.

Sonic hastily tried to embrace in order to calm her, but then she flung her arms outwards and feebly tried to keep him away. That caused him to get a glance of Amy's face, which was twisted in a pained expression while her eyes were tightly shut. She was still asleep...

Being careful not to hurt her, Sonic managed to get his arms around her body thus forcing her to stop quivering and fight against his grip. However, it only caused her screams to grow more intense.

"Amy! Come on, wake up!"

When his voice reached Amy's subconscious her body immediately went limp and her eyelids shot open to reveal her terrified jade eyes.

For a brief moment everything went dead quiet until Amy managed to stutter out a weak; "S-Sonic..."

Uttermost relief washed over her face once she recognized Sonic, and he smiled when he noticed that some color returned to her fair peach skin.

"It's alright, Amy.." he cooed in her ear while stroking her back "You're safe.. It was just a bad dream, nothing more."

Light quivers went through Amy's body as the horrible images of the dream, or rather nightmare, still lingered in her mind. She desperately tried to distract her thoughts so that it didn't become a memory.

Sonic's comforting strokes.. their naked bodies so tightly wrapped in one another..

Him dying before her eyes...

A pained whine erupted from her while she firmly clutched on to Sonic as if her life depended on it.

"I'm right here." he reminded her, tightly squeezing her to emphasis his presence.

For awhile they laid completely still, listening to the sound of each others pulses - Amy's was gradually decreasing wheras Sonic held the same steady rhythm as always.

After what felt like an eternity he quietly asked "What was it about?"

Amy rarely had nightmares while he on the other hand had become increasingly more plauged by bad dream as he'd gotten older. Maybe because he no longer possesed the same carefree attitude as he did when he was a mere teenager. Perhaps all the madness he'd been forced to endure was starting to somehow add up. But then again, he'd never been quite this happy in his entire life either. Was he simply so afraid of losing that happiness that it had started to affect his dreams? He guessed it made sense, but it didn't explain why Amy suddenly had them too.

Sonic never shared any specific details of his adventures that regarded any type of gruesomeness, and when it came to Eggman's plots he strictly kept to leaving certain things out or made up an alternate story instead.

Tails wasn't too pleased about Sonic's decision as he'd sometimes be forced to lie to Amy whenever she brought any of it up. His little brother pointed out that he couldn't keep her living in the illusion that none of the things Eggman threatened with ever happened. The longer periods of time they were forced to be gone from home, and the fact that Sonic's body always held a new set of scars each time he returned would soon be too much to simply blame on them helping out with reconstructions of damaged villages.

Though, Sonic refused to listen. Not because he disregarded Tails' reasoning or thought he could keep Amy in the dark forever, sooner or later Eggman would make reality of his threats and then it'd be hard to pretend he'd been oblivious about it all.

But...

He still wanted to shelter her for as long as he could. This was, after all, his choice of lifestyle - not hers. It would be unfair of him to demand that she gave up a life in peacefulness just so that they could be together.

He knew Amy loved him more than she valued her own safety, therfore Sonic had to make sure she didn't end up getting hurt because of what he did. That's why he'd gotten her this house, it was sort of a safe haven, a sanctuary away from all the dangers of the world. For her, but also for himself. Here Amy could live a normal life, here he could be the fiance, and eventually -husband, she deserved.

Sonic's train of thoughts was interrupted when Amy abruptly shifted in his arms, so that she instead had her back against his torso.

"Sonic, I-I have to tell you something..." she whispered "But don't think I'm crazy, okay?"

"Okay."

Amy swallowed hard and hastily entwined her fingers with his.

"Earlier today, during the picnic, when I thought I saw something in the woods."

Sonic frowned slightly "Yeah?"

There was a brief pause. Even uttering the name brought her chills "I think it was Metal Sonic."

"Metal Sonic..?" he echoed questiongly and couldn't help but already feel doubtful. Robotnik hadn't rebuilt any of those since forever and Sonic vaguely even remembered what his metallic copy had looked like.

"I know it sounds strange, because if it were him..- I mean he would've attacked us, right?"

"I'd think so, yeah."

If Robotnik had created new copys of Metal Sonic it was hardly to help flickies that'd fallen out of their nests or something.

"Then why didn't he?"

"Maybe your mind was playing tricks on you." Sonic began to reason while he calmingly caressed Amy's hands "The sun was pretty intense today, perhaps you got sunstroked."

"Maybe... You're probably right, it's just unpleasent to think that Metal might've returned."

She shrugged her shoulders and Sonic took notice of her tone - anxious, with a hint of fright. Suddenly her desperate screaming from before echoed in the back of his head. It was an unusual type of high-pitched scream that he'd only heard a few times in his life. One had been the first time he'd saved her from- Oh...

Slowly he put two and two together.

"Was that what you dreamed about? Metal-.." he swallowed hard and had to suppress the anger that threatened to surface at the mere thought of that metalic demon even close to Amy "-hurting you?"

A few seconds of hesitation passed before Amy reluctantly spoke with a broken voice that revealed she was close to tears "Not me - you, or rather you got hurt because of me. Because I was too weak, too helpless to stop him."

"You're not weak, Ames. You're the strongest, most bravest person I know." Sonic whispered lovingly as he kissed her cheek from behind "It was just a dumb dream that doesn't mean a thing. Metal is not coming back, and even if he was I'd never let him hurt either of us. So, please, don't cry."

Amy giggled softly under her breath as Sonic started to plant multiple short kisses on her muzzle which caused a tickling feeling to spread through her body. She tried to move out of his arms and further back in the bed, but he easily caught her and proceeded to attack her with butterfly kisses.

"Sonic.." she whined half heartedly in between fits of giggles "Stop, It tickles..!"

He halted himself as he enjoyed the sound of her sweet, melodious giggling that warmed his heart stronger than any summer sun could.

"Now there, that's better." Sonic said and smiled "There's the sound I love."

Truly, the contrast between her terrified screaming and her laughter was like night and day, and Sonic knew which one he'd preferred to never hear again and which one he simply couldn't live without.

The dawn of a new day came and Sonic left the house early to take his usual morning run. He felt notably energetic when he came out on the front yard, the adrenaline already pumped through his system at a rapid pace and his legs itched for a really long run. The air was clear and like the previous day it looked as if it were to be yet another sunny day.

Memories of yesterday's evening still lingered in Sonic's mind, causing a sligt pink hue to rest on his cheeks. While at the same time had Amy's nightmare put him a bit on edge - he'd written her a short note just in case.

And even if he tried his best to clear his mind as he sprinted off at neck break speed, his thoughts still reached out to her.

A while later Amy awoke from her slumber where she lay neatly tucked in the blanket Sonic had covered her with. She noticed his absence but quickly found the note he'd left her. His sloppy handwriting read- "Out for a run, back before you know it. - Mr. Rose." and in the corner he'd drawn something that she guessed were supposed to resemble himself wearing a large top hat. She giggled fondly and put the note on her nightstand before then proceeding to arise from bed and stand infront of the wide bay window.

Amy let the blanket fall to the ground, exposing her naked body and letting it bathe in the morning light. The sun immediately warmed every fiber of her being and gave her pink fur a glowing shimmer. She let out a content sigh.

With graceful movements she slid her hands along her body and with blushing cheeks remembered how Sonic had caressed it with such gentle affection merely hours ago. His touch still lingered upon her skin and she could almost feel certain spots tingle where his lips had been. A sweet smile spread on her muzzle at the mere thought of it.

Truly no morning had ever begun better than this one.

Amy had let the kitchen door stand ajar in case Sonic decided to take that way in. The wind blew in, ruffling the tulle curtain and causing it to sway gently in front of the door opening - slightly concealing the garden outside.

In ordinary fashion the pink hedgehog began preparing breakfast, whistling a happy tune as she almost danced across the kitchen floor. Her body felt light as a feather and once in a while she twirled so swiftly that her cream colored dress fluttered around her frame.

Soon Sonic would come home and they'd eat in the garden, then she'd call Cream who'd come over the two of them would bake the most delicious pie to bring to their Sunday dinner with Vanilla. Perhaps she'd learn a new recipe, and she might even ask Tails if he could take for a spin in the Tornado. It had been such a long time ago since last time. Afterwards her and Sonic would have the entire day to themselves, just the two of them.. Oh, she couldn't wait!

Just as she was about to reach for the flour for the pancakes a loud creaking noise came from outside the garden. It sounded as if someone had walked right through the pickett fence.

"Maybe Sonic accidently hit it when he came running..." Amy thought.

She caustiously walked towards the kitchen door but stopped dead in her tracks when something or someone appeared just outside the door. The figure was hidden behind the curtain and only its silhouette was visible.

Amy was just about to push the curtain aside when she suddenly hesitated "Sonic..?" she inquired, her voice barely above a whisper "Is that you?"

But it wasn't Sonic.

The tulle curtain fluttered aside and revealed the tall figure before her. Its metalic body was in a dark shade of blue and easily towered over her in a menacing way. Instead of anything that might've resembled fingers there were long, razor sharp claws that looked like it could cut through a body within the blink of an eye. Along the sides of his arms there were similar sharp blades that stuck out. But what scared her the most, what made her breath get caught in her throat and her body to shrink, was the dead, piercing blood red eyes.

The same eyes that had haunted her dreams ever since that fateful day on Little Planet. A living nightmare.

Metal Sonic...

And despite its intended purpose of resembling Sonic, the robotic copy couldn't possibly look any more unlike him.

Suddenly Amy Rose felt like she was nine years old again.

With a swift jerk of his hand, he ripped the entire curtain down with the curtain rod crashing down onto the floor as well. It rattled loudly and rolled away out of reach.

Then without another second passing by, Metal began advancing forward.

In a instinctively attempt to eacape Amy stumbled over her own feet and fell backwards, hitting the floor hard on her back. A sharp rush of adrenaline mixed with a deafening sense of fear took control of every muscle in her body and she was left with crawling backwards. Trying to get as far away as possible from Metal's reach.

But deep within her mind she knew it was impossible. Metal was both superiourly stronger and faster than her. There was no way of escaping and nowhere to hide.

He continued to calmly approach her, the static eyes observing her until something seemed to spark in them. Then all of a sudden he stopped and uttered something Amy knew she would never be able to forget.

" **Little Amy Rose... We meet again**."

The monotone yet eerie voice sent shivers down her spine. Never had a voice alone made her so absolutely terrified. It didn't sound quite mobian nor completely robotic, but an uncanny mix of both.

Amy was too stunned to even utter a single word, she merely stared at him with widened eyes.

"Do something, you'll die if you don't!" Amy's brain seemed to scream at her, instantly snapping her out the trance.

Her eyes drew towards the curtain rod and she divde for it with outstretched arms, her hands clawing for it desperately. She managed to get a grasp of it and hastily aimed a swing towards Metal, hoping to knock him off his feet. But to no avail as he easily caught it and with a flick of his wrist snapped the rod in half.

The half he still held in his hand he directed towards Amy, who at the last second dodged it's merciless jab at her torso. However Metal was soon at her again, pressing the rod against her throat in an attempt to suffocate her to death. With all her might she tried to keep the rod away with her hands pressing against it so hard that it hurt.

Then there was that shift in Metal's eyes again and he dropped the curtain rod, and for a brief moment he seemed to have forgotten what he was just doing.

Amy immediately took action and rolled to the side, scurrying to her feet and fleeing into the living room where her first instinct was to reach the bathroom and lock herself in. But the wooden door would probably not even be able to sustain more than two hits until it would come crashing down. The next option was either hide upstairs or to somehow muster up enough strength to sprint towards the sliding glass door and then run as far away as her legs could carry her.

Though she never got to find out as without warning her arm got clutched in an iron grip and before she could even register the pain got flung across the room. Amy's body flew through the air like a lifeless rag doll, crashing against the table that the record player stood upon. Like a house of cards it all collapsed beneath her body, the record player hitting the floor and breaking the fragile record that had laid on it into a dozens of pieces.

An intense pain blossomed up in Amy's back and her head ached so fiercely that she felt like throwing up. Through dazed eyes she saw how Metal came towards her and then brutally heaving her upwards with only one hand gripping her quills. Her feet dangled helplessly above the ground and all she could do was screech in pure terror and agony.

Metal seemed to enjoy hearing her scream. He brought a single deadly claw up to her face and viciously let it slide down her cheek, it pierced her skin just as easily as if she'd been made out of paper. Hot tears blended with the blood while Amy uttered something that sounded like a mix between a sob and a shriek.

One thing was repeating in her mind and that was that she wouldn't beg. Metal could play with her as much as he wanted. He could beat and cut her until there was nothing left of her - but she refused to beg for mercy.

Because she knew there was none.

The robotic copy dragged her by the quills across the floor until they were in the center of the living room. He studied her briefly. Then, much like a kid who had tired of a broken toy, Metal dropped her onto the floor where she remained completely motionless but continued to cry.

A horrible thought flashed through her mind; she would never see Sonic again. Never again would she see him smile.. never again see his eyes... his beautiful emerald eyes. Never hear his voice...

" _Please Chaos, let Sonic live._ " she prayed silently " _Don't let Metal harm him. Let him live.._ "

Amy felt how something heavy pressed against her abdomen and realized that Metal had placed himself astride over her body. Before the worst of thoughts could take form she witnessed how he merely aimed at the left side of her chest with his claw like hand.

 _Was he planning to rip her heart out..?_

"Sonic..- I love you..." Amy whimpered and closed her eyes, awaiting the final second of her young life.

It was then it happened.

Like a bullet shot out of a gun, a blue blur crashed through the sliding doors, glass shattered and spread all across the living room floor in a sea of shards. In the following next second everything happened so fast that Amy was barely able to register all of it.

The blur had unraveled and revealed the familiar figure of Sonic who, within the blink of an eye, had rushed towards Metal's body and tackled him away from Amy.

"Sonic..!" she breathed with a mix of relief and concern. Tears welling up in her eyes and making everything rather blurry.

Sonic and Metal tumbled around on the floor, both trying to get the upper hand while the robotic copy also tried to get back to Amy. Apparently to finish the job.

But through big effort, Sonic managed to get his feet against Metal's chest and then used all his strength to push the robot off of him with such force that Metal's body flew half way across the room and crashed into the bookcase. As soon as his body made contact with it, the otherwise sturdy bookcase wobbled so violently that it fell forward against the floor with a slightly dazed Metal getting trapped underneath. Books welled out from their shelves and like a tidal wave spread amongst the already countless shards of glass.

Sonic knew that he only had mere seconds until Metal would arise and attack him anew, but he still couldn't help to cast a glance over at Amy. However, when his eyes couldn't detect any signs of severe bleeding his focus shifted back towards Metal who already shot up from below the bookcase, sending it to the side.

Once again did the red eyes target themselves at Amy where she lay curled up on the floor. He flung himself at her mercilessly, with his claws aiming to kill. Sonic foresaw the attempt and put himself in the way, having clenched his fist which he directed at Metal's head.

"Don't you dare touch her, you creep!" he shouted furiously.

They collided, and Metal's claws slashed Sonic's raised arm so fiercely that the hero let out a sudden cry of pain, losing focus for a moment.

Metal took advantage of this and directed another jab at his enemy, but this time towards his abdomen. Sonic reacted a second too late and got slashed right across the stomach.

But the slash only seemed to ignite an even fiercer fury within Sonic as he with new found energy and sent a sharp kick towards Metal, that hit him square in the gut. The blow casued Metal's entire frame to bend in an odd angle that ultimately led to him falling over - laying face first on the floor. Acting quickly Sonic got on top of him, taking a firm grip on each of his arms and not even caring that the blades cut into his palms. With a raw surge of strength and an almost fearl cry Sonic tore off Metal Sonic's arms with his bare hands in one swift move.

With horror Amy witnessed how Metal's head still fought to keep itself upright and what was even more frightening was how his eyes still targeted themselves at her. Though it didn't last for long as almost immediately Sonic's hands also ripped off the head. He threw it to the side, disgusted.

Metal Sonic's entire body, or at least what was left of it, fell limp and didn't budge an inch.

When Sonic was sure his robotic copy was completely down, he staggered as far away from it as he could before finally falling to his knees in exhaustion.

"S-Sonic!" Amy cried as she mustered up enough strength to pull herself upwards and desperately crawl towards Sonic. She ignored the pain from the slintered glass that embedded themselves deep into her hands and knees.

To see the state he was in made her heart drop. Fresh blood streamed from the wounds on his arm and abdomen while the cuts on his palms had completely runied his gloves. Small pieces of glass had gotten stuck in his fur and one particularly big shard had found its way into his right leg. But none of it seemed to bother him as his eyes only sought out her.

When Amy reached him he hastily took her into his arms and pressed her towards his chest so hard that it almost hurt.

"Amy..." he whispered softly, clearly relieved to find that she was relatively unharmed "Are you alright? Did..- did he hurt you?"

Amy tried to utter a word but she only managed to splutter a wordless squeaking. She felt how something wet ran down her cheeks and realized that she was crying. A light weeping that turned into a hysterical crying once Sonic shifted her into his arms so that he was instead cradling her. The sobbing caused her body to shake so violently that he had to take a firm grasp on her petite form and gently rub her back.

"S-S-So-... on-i-ic..."

"Shh.. it's okay. I'm here now. Nothing can hurt you." Sonic reassured but found that he also had began to tremble "I'm here.."

For how long they sat there in the midst of the chaos - simply embracing each other, he didn't know nor did he care.

All he was aware of was that fragile little heartbeat next to his.

* * *

 **Credits:**

 **In Apple Blossom Time - Albert Von Tilzer, Neville Fleeson**


	3. Chapter 3: Vacancy

**C O N _T_ R A S T**

 **Chapter 3: Vacancy**

* * *

Amy's eyelids fluttered open. Slowly she blinked the haziness out of her eyes, and soon enough she recognized the familiar look of her own bedroom. She had no memory of how she'd got there. The last thing she could remember was Sonic's arms embracing her...

And speaking of which - there he was.

By the side of the bed was Sonic. He sat with his head in his hands, facing downwards and with his eyes tightly closed, apparently deeply absorbed in his own thoughts. His quills stood slightly on edge, and Amy could see that his wounds had been carelessly tended to. The slash on his abdomen had a bandage sloppyily wrapped around it while the cut on his arm only had some kind of cloth tied to it. But the gashes on his palms, where Metal's claws had cut in, had no protection except his gloves, that he hadn't even bothered to change despite them being covered in dried blood and barely holding together.

Amy looked down at her own hands and noticed that every single little cut caused by the splintered glass had been picked clean. There was even a band aid covering one of the deeper cuts. She figured the same treatment had been done to her knees. When she reached a hand up to touch her cheek, she noticed that there was yet another band aid. The bandaging on her arm was also fixed much more neatly than Sonic's, and she began to wonder if it had even been done by the same person.

Nothing hurt and neither Amy's back nor head ached in the slightest.

She glanced back at Sonic and carefully reached a hand over to touch his shoulder. "Sonic..?" She whispered softly.

The reaction was instant, the sound of her voice made him flinch and both his head and ears shot up. He met her gaze, his whole body relaxing once he realized that she'd awoken. _How long had she been asleep?_

Sonic's hand grasped hers and gently showered it with kisses as his entire face shone of relief, the brightest of smiles stretching across his muzzle.

"Amy..!" He croaked before clearing his throat. "I'm so glad you're finally awake."

"H-how long have I been asleep?" Amy asked, casting a glance towards the window. It looked bright enough outside but with these clear summer nights it was hard to tell.

"Eight hours."

"I guess we missed Vanilla's dinner then..."

Sonic uttered a dry laugh, as if that was the least of his problems. Then he instinctively drew a hand towards his abdomen and for a second his face flashed in pain, though he was quick to mask it. However, Amy picked up on it and stared at him with concerned eyes. "Sonic, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, don't worry about me. What's important is you, Amy."

At that, suddenly memories of this morning came flooding back to Amy. Tears began to form in the corner of her eyes while Sonic's face shifted in instant worry. "What's wrong, are you in pain? Does your arm hurt?"

Amy merely shook her head and gave him a teary look. "No, it's just.. I- I thought I'd never get to see you again. I was so scared that-.. that- Oh, Sonic..!" She broke down and sobbed so hard that she almost choked on her own tears.

Sonic crawled up in bed next to her and carefully brought her to his chest, mindful not to cause her any more pain. He wrapped his arms around her small frame and cooed loving words to her - the loveliest, most hopeful words he could possibly think of. " _In sunny Roseland, where summer breezes are playing. Where the honey bees are a-maying_..." He began to sing softly while stroking her tears away with his thumb. " _There all the roses are swaying, dancing while the meadow brook flows_.."

Amy buried her face in his chest, her crying hardening as she was forced to relive the horror.

" _The moon when shining is more than ever designing. For 'tis ever then am I pining, pining to be sweetly recling_..."

Between each line, Sonic planted tender kisses upon the top of her head.

" _Somewhere in Roseland - beside a beautiful rose_..."

He continued to hum quietly until Amy's tears had finally subsided. After a while, silence settled in the room but the sound of Sonic's voice still seemed to linger in the air, like a spell that protected her from any ill thoughts. She could've easily fallen back asleep right at that moment but once she could think clear something gnawed in the back of her mind.

"Sonic..?"

"Yes, Ames?"

"H-how did you know I was in d-danger?"

The look on his face changed into a doboius one and his eyes got distant. He tried hard to find the words for what he'd experienced at that dreadful moment.

"I don't know how to explain it, suddenly I got this weird, cold feeling as an intense pain blossomed up in my chest. My feet instantly stopped running, making me almost crash into the ground. I thought I was going to black out right or something, but then I just got this notion that you were in danger..." He held a hesitant look for a brief second before continuing. "I know it might sound crazy, but It was almost as if I could hear your voice calling out to me."

"I did.." Amy said, locking eyes with him. "I prayed that you'd be safe, that Metal would just be satisfied with me and let you live. Even when I thought I was going to die - all I could think of was how glad I felt that it was me and not you lying there."

"Oh, Ames.." Sonic whispered, touched by her sentiment but also concerned. She should never even have to contemplate a thing like that. "When I proposed to you I promised that I'd take care of you and protect you until my last breath. I swore it on this-" He held up her left hand slightly, stroking his thumb across the golden ring. "-so, please, don't ever think like that - cause I'd give my life for you, alright?"

"I know you would.." Amy whispered back, he could see the fatigue creep up on her.

Thus, Sonic planted a soft kiss on her forehead. "You should try to get some rest, I'll be here until you've fallen asleep, alright?"

"Okay.."

Carefully, he then shifted into a more comfortable position and rested his eyes on her.

"S-Sonic?" Amy suddenly whispered faintly, her eyes barely managing to stay open. "I love you."

He smiled. "I love you too."

* * *

The downstairs was still in quite a mess, with glass shards still spread out on the floor like little pieces of diamonds. They glittered in the late sunlight that shone through the gaping hole in the sliding doors. Torn pages of various books gently drifted across the room as a wind swept in, and the sound of their rustling spread a melancholy feeling.

Amongst the rubble stood Tails who stacked books back up on the shelves of the restored bookcase. Luckily, it hadn't taken much of a toll of Metal Sonic's body collide with it.

The memory of the completely demolished robot brought a shiver down Tails' spine. Sonic had thankfully gotten rid of the parts while he had tended to Amy's wounds. But he hadn't dared to ask where cause the distraught on his brother's face when he'd gotten back and looked at his fianceé had been too overwhelming. Even if his injuries were more severe than hers, Sonic had outright refused to let Tails bandage him before Amy had been taken care of first.

Tails had agreed but still insisted that he at least could patch himself up then, which Sonic complied to.

Afterwards he'd silently taken Amy into his arms and carried her upstairs, and hadn't come back down since.

Hours had already passed, and Tails had just woken up from having fallen asleep on the couch when he'd waited for his brother to return. And just as he put the last book in place on its shelf he heard soft footsteps coming down the stairs.

"Sonic?" Tails called with a gentle tone.

A second later his older brother appeared in the room, looking mildly surprised. "Oh, Tails.. I thought you'd be asleep by now."

Ironically, Sonic looked like he hadn't slept for weeks or would ever dare to close his eyes again. As if the last couple of hours had changed him beyond recognition. His eyes were somber but held a sort of silent conviction in them, as a result of hard thinking for a long time. Tails barely dared to let his eyes wander over his carelessly bandaged wounds, the likeness of infection in at least one of them was probably already a fact.

Tails, however, decided to let it be for now and instead gave his brother a weak smile. "I woke up a while ago and decided to make myself useful." He gestured towards the bookcase. "How about you, did you get any sleep?"

The answer was pretty much already given but Sonic shook his head regardless.

"No, I.." He seemed to suppress something, but before Tails could inquire any further his brother's face suddenly lit up. "Amy's awake."

"Really? That's great! How's she feeling, can I go see her?"

Sonic chuckled briefly and patted him on the back. "She fell back asleep, little buddy, but she said she wasn't in any pain at least."

Tails looked just as relieved as Sonic felt over hearing that and gave him a hug, lightly to not cause his abdomen any discomfort, and said— "That's good. I'll repair the window as well as fix the record player for her!"

"I'm sure she'll love that." Sonic replied, hugging his brother back and for a moment forgetting all of his thoughts over the past hours.

Together they cleaned up all the broken pieces of glass, gathered the remaining pages of different books, and salvaged the broken parts of the record player. The daintily table it had stood on was beyond repair. As were the tulle curtains in the kitchen, and Sonic felt sickened by just looking at the claw marks and imagining the utter fear Amy must've experienced. Anger and shame shot through his veins like venom and he cursed the fact that he hadn't been there to protect her.

When somewhat of an order had been restored to the house, Tails insisted in finally getting to tend to his wounds, to which Sonic only gave a small nod. The complete lack of care on his face made Tails slightly irritated and he probably tied the bandages a bit harder than necessary.

"Thanks, it actually feels a bit better now." Sonic said sincerly as they both slumped down on the couch. "And thank you for coming as fast as you did before. I don't know what I'd do without ya, little bro. I owe you, big time."

"You don't owe me anything, Sonic, I care about Amy just as much as you do. We should both be grateful that you managed to save her from Metal in time, who knows what it could've done to her.."

"Yeah, I-.. it's all I've been able to think about these last couple of hours."

"Do you think it was Robotnik? That sent it, I mean."

A heavy sigh escaped Sonic's lips as he gave his brother an empty look. "It was a Metal Sonic so..." He shrugged his shoulders. "But it doesn't have to mean he knows anything. For all we know it could've been a stray one. Maybe it had gone rogue or something..."

Tails' expression turned dobious. "I don't know.. A stray Metal that just happens to stumble upon your house, right when Amy's being home alone, and then deciding to attack her without slightest provocation... the odds seem very slim." His features deepend in concentration as he tried to make out a possible explantaion. "Did you notice anything strange about how it behaved? Rogue robots have a tendency to act quite erratically and unfocused, especially if they had a specific target programmed prior to their revolt."

Something suddenly clicked within the depths of Sonic's mind, color draining from his muzzle as his pupils grew small.

"It was as if it was obsessed with her, it only really focused on me when I kept it from reaching her."

Tails' expression turned anxious at this information. "So you think Amy was the target? I mean, maybe it just followed you all the way from Chun-nan..?"

"Yeah, that's probably it. It can't be her.." And now Sonic seemed to mutter more to himself than his brother. "It just can't..."

"I think we have to consider it a possibilty, just for now at least. After all, there wasn't anything indicating that Robotnik was aware of, well, your situation when we faced him a few days ago. Maybe we should just be extra cautious for a couple of days, until we know for sure that nothing's after either of you."

"You're right, little buddy. We lay low for a while, figure things out.."

The two friends settled back once more, neither truly relaxed but slightly more at ease than before. Tails even managed to fall back asleep, his ruffled bangs pressing into the couch as he lightly began snoring. The stress having surely taken it's toll on him as well. Sonic on the other hand was in a state of doubting whether he'd be able to sleep ever again, though judging by his weary thoughts he'd more than likely need to.

He got up from his seat and walked off into the kitchen, leaving his brother to sleep in peace, and over to the wall-attached telephone. A yellow post-it note beside the phone, most likely put there by Tails, told him that Vanilla had called multiple times over the course of his absence and that it was probably a good idea to call her back. Tails' lack of information regarding Amy's health in detail had surely worried the poor woman, and not to mention her daughter for that matter. Vanilla was very much like a somewhat informal mother to the entire group. Always caring and supportive, yet, if the situation called for it, could be rightfully stern and parental. And above all else she was blessed with the mild temper and patience of an angel. Despite his lack of personal experience, Sonic knew that she was certainly the ideal mother - a stark contrast to how his own parents must've been like.

That, and her abilty to raise Cream all by herself had caused him to harbor great respect for the older rabbit.

With swift fingers, Sonic dialed the number to the Rabbit's house and then waited for someone to pick up on the other end. It didn't take more than a mere second until he was met with Vanilla's soft spoken voice, that for once sounded a bit more pressing.

" _Mister Sonic?_ "

"Hey, Miss Vanilla." Sonic said in confirmation, trying to sound as casual as possible. "I'm sorry I haven't been able to call you, you must've been worried. But I just couldn't bring myself to leave Amy's side."

" _It's alright, my dear, I understand. How's she feeling? Young mister Tails was very brief when we last spoke_."

"She's.. okay. A bit shaken up, but Tails patched her up nicely. And I'll make sure she gets all the rest she needs."

" _I trust you will. You're a fine, upstanding young man, Sonic._ " Her voice broke a little and he could hear that she tried to keep herself from turning sentimental. " _She means a lot to me, as if she was my own daugther... In my heart I know you'll keep her safe_."

"I'd do anything for her." Sonic reassured lowly. Almost being able to picture the tender smile that spread on Vanilla's face.

" _And how are you, my boy_?"

"How am I?" He echoed.

And for a moment Sonic truly wanted to tell her the truth. About his worries. His fear that the life he loved might be coming to an end.

That it would soon be all taken away from him.

And the feeling that it was somehow his own fault.

He wanted to be comforted. Told that it was all nonsense...

But above all he dreaded being told that it actually was.

So instead he said—

"I'm okay, I just-" He paused and answered as truthfully as he could. "I don't wanna lose it all."

" _A fiancé has to be courteous, and be able to put his fianceé above everything and most importantly - himself. Can you do that, Sonic?_ "

Without a doubt he answered. "Yes."

" _Then you have nothing to fear. Cause even when you doubt yourself, when you think that you might not be enough, your heart will know the truth. And it will guide you right_."

"Thank you, Miss Vanilla."

" _It's quite alright, my dear. I'll come by tomorrow with some warm meals for you both. Take care of yourself in the meantime, and promise me you'll try and get some sleep, you sound absolute exhausted_."

"I promise. And tell Cream I said hi, would you, please."

" _I will. Bye now_."

"Bye."

The call ended and Sonic was left with the droning sound of the telephone still held in his hand. With a sudden remembrance of what he was doing he hung the phone back in place, let out a deep breath, and turned his back against it.

Staring out through the wide kitchen windows, he could see how the sky was slowly turning to a darker shade of blue but that the sun was not going down just yet. He made his way out through the kitchen door and began to wander around aimlessly in the garden. His legs practically itched for a run after having being still for almost nine hours, but no amount of willpower in the world could get him to leave the house. The very thought of it made him want to instantly move closer to it. He felt too restless to try and sleep now, he wasn't in the least bit willing to give in to the exhaustion that had slowly began to eat away at his mind.

At the table where he and Amy had ate their breakfast laid a newspaper that he skimmed through. A headline on the second page caught his eye, it read; " _The continuous disappearance of overlanders - a coincidence or a conscious provocation?_ "

The text below continued to read; " _The sudden dissapperance of Overlanders all across Mobius continues to grow in numbers, with the last report from various local police stations amounting to a total of eighty four victims that has been reported missing since the beginning of this year. These reported missings and failings to recover the victims have upset not only the concerned families and friends, but has lately also stirred attention from organisations in large Overlander populated cities such as Spagonia and Empire City. Several parties have suggested that it might be a question of a provocation from the Anthro population. A spokesperson from TPOR (The Preservation of Overlander's Rights) Charles Scott said the following in an interview: "It's not a secret that Overlanders are a minority that for decades have been silently oppressed in many ways by the Anthro population. Our heritage to our ancestors know as Humans has for far too long muddled our reputation and we've therefore been succumbed to being viewed as lower standing beings. So when a large number of our kind are being abducted in the dark are we just to assume that this is not an open threat? A provocation by radical Anthro's that G.U.N seems to have turned a blind eye on? How can we be sure that G.U.N has not become corrupted by the influence of the Anthros? Is any Overlander still safe to walk the streets without_ -..."

At that, Sonic discared the paper to the side while letting out an exasperated sigh. He'd heard about the dissapperances while he'd been away, but had been too busy with Robotnik's mayhem to really delve any deeper into it. However, from what he could make of the article it was apparently starting to create a wedge between Overlanders and Anthros. Which couldn't lead to anything else than that riled up conspirators like Charles Scott got to shout in various papers, radio programmes and TV broadcastings as a way of attracting audience and buyers. It certainly wouldn't help the poor police officers across Mobius who were probably working hard on finding the victims in question.

But at least it might get G.U.N to finally engage in anything other than their own beneficial interests.

When it came to politics Sonic tried to keep as far away from it as possible. At most listen on one ear if he ever came across anything on the news but would often just leave it at that. And as of now he had far bigger problems to worry about.

For almost two full hours he managed to occupy himself with various tasks like watering the entire garden, picking ripe berries and succesfully replacing the broken boards in the picket fence, as well as painting them white. The less damage that was visible the better for Amy, he figured.

This was her sanctuary after all. A garden of roses that no matter how stunningly elusive they got could never be as beautiful as their caretaker.

Sonic let his finger tips brush against the petals of one particular type of rose that grew in it's very own pot. The pot had been placed underneath the kitchen window, so that Amy could admire their beauty the first thing in the morning. She claimed that these roses stemed from a very special one. A rose with a scent sweeter than any other, and with petals more perfect than if someone had hand drawn it. She claimed it was the very first rose he'd ever given her.

Even if it must have been for almost seven years ago, Sonic could clearly recall the day in question.

He smiled thoughtfully at the memory of his sixteen year old self, profusely sweating and nervously fumbling with the single rose he'd obtained from the recent adventure that he'd just gotten back from. It was with played nonchalance and his famous smirk plastered on his face that he'd offered the flower to the then thirteen year old Amy Rose. In reality, his heart had been close to jumping out of his chest due to the sheer pressure. And although a boy presenting a flower to the girl he secretly adored might be a traditional and utterly normal occurrence in the world, to Sonic it had signified a whole lot more. It had been a sign of the love they'd share in the then coming future. A silent vow of his dedication and protection of her as long as he should live.

He knew then, as sure as he did now, that she would be the girl he'd give all his roses to.

Sonic rarely got nostalgic, his entire being was about moving forward - both literary and in life. But sometimes it was hard not to be overcome by the simpler times of days now long gone. Not that he wished to have anything undone or redone for that matter. Well, except for perhaps the time he ate his first chili dog, or the first time he'd broken the sound barrier, or turned into his super form and feeling the pure chaos energy coursing through his system.

Life back then he'd known. Growing older had presented new forms of challenges that no longer involved the most effective way of defeating a horde robots, or coming up with new and clever puns to throw at Robotnik.

Sonic glanced down at his engagement ring that gleamed vaguely in the setting sun.

How to propose had been one of them.

His eyes then drifted up towards the bedroom window which was slightly ajar and felt immediately drawn to it. And having nothing left to distract himself with out here, he decided to head on back inside the house - wanting to put an end to this dreadful day.

When Sonic quietly stepped into the living room Tails was pretty much in the same state as he'd left him in - deep into dreamland and snoring gently. The sight of his little brother sound asleep made Sonic relax as well as bring a smile to his face. He covered him in one of Amy's patched quilts, softly as not to wake him, before making his way upstairs. Mindful to not creak any of the steps.

Even softer were his footsteps as he entered the bedroom.

Much like Tails, Amy had remained in the almost exact position as she'd been when he'd left her for about three hours ago. All but her face, which held a frown and her usually rosy cheeks that had been stained by dried tears.

 _Had she cried in her sleep?_

The thought froze Sonic to his very core. A new wave of guilt washing over him. He so desperately wished he could take all her pain, worry and suffering and carry it for her. Smooth out the small frown between her eyes. Remove every last tiny scratch from her delicate skin and etch them onto himself instead.

"Oh, Ames.." He whispered under his breath.

For a brief moment he debated whether he should wake her up, but at the same time he didn't wish to disturb her slumber.

If only he could relieve her dreams, make them sweet and hopeful.

After careful though Sonic's eyes landed on the wooden dressing table where, among colorful ribbons, and other various girly adornments that he didn't know half the names for, a music box stood. Modest in size but elegantly crafted with equally elegant carvings on the sides, resembling flowers of every possible kind.

When opening the lid it revealed a larger image in faded pastel colors. From what he could tell it illustrated a lake, filled with lilypads and two swans circling around the edge while the background depicted a classic fairy-tale type castle. In the midst of it all stood a uniform clad soldier holding out his hand towards a beautiful ballerina that held her hand out as well - but neither of them managing to reach far enough for their hands to meet.

A symbol of two lovers who would never get each other.

The music that played when reeling back the little lever attatched to the side of the box had a wistful yet lulling melody. Sonic had only ever heard it a few times. Sometimes when Amy got upset with him she could turn to the music box for comfort as it, besides the music, held various items that affirmed her of Sonic's love for her. Letters as well as birthday cards he'd sent, small keepsakes like old tickets from all the times they'd visited Twinkle Park, shells from beaches he'd taken her to, and their most precious pictures together.

Ever so gently Sonic reeled the lever backwards a few turns, letting the soft melody fill the room in hopes of that it would reach Amy in her sleep, and perhaps bring her the serenity she needed.

Soon enough, and whether it was merely a trick of his mind or not, a more peaceful expression settled upon her face.

With a slightly eased heart, Sonic wandered over to the cushioned window seat, and sat down with his head turned towards Amy's sleeping form. Determined to guard her the whole night through. Like always his eyes softened when he looked at her.

Despite the bandages she was still so utterly beautiful - like a princess.

The sight made his heart ache.

He had to restrain himself from taking her into his arms and hold her petite form against his chest. But from his seat in the window he could watch over her while also keeping an eye on the outside.

And despite what he'd promised Vanilla earlier - he knew he wasn't getting any sleep tonight.

* * *

The following days after the incident passed in silent tranquility.

No other Metal Sonic showed up, and if it really had been sent by Robotnik, the doctor made no claim of it at least. So Sonic decided to settle for Tails' theory of it having simply been targeted at him and not Amy. The fact that it had found her alone had probably only been an unfortunate coincidence. She was at no risk. However, that hadn't stopped the nightmares from plauging poor Amy's dreams every night since then. She'd wake up screaming in bloodcurdling agony with tears running down her cheeks. Not even Sonic's presence could keep the nightmares away anymore - no matter how tight he held her as she fell asleep or how much he comforted her once she woke up crying out for him. For in the depths of her nightmares she witnessed her worst of fears come true - Sonic constantly died in almost every possible way imaginable, all while Metal's uncanny laughter cut through her like shattered glass.

Only on the fourth night did Amy have enough sensibility as to understand that what she saw wasn't real. Instead she woke up with a silent scream frozen upon her face as silent tears brimmed her eyes, each which got kissed away by her love.

That same morning she sat out in the garden, digging her nails into the soft, wam soil, when she told herself to not let the nightmares ruin her days with Sonic. Sooner or later he'd be forced to leave again, the world wouldn't stay still for long, she knew that. And who knew how long he'd be gone for next time? No, she was wasting precious time on feeling sorry for herself. Those dreams weren't real. And they never would be. Sonic always came through for her - _always_.

Once he came through the garden gate, having just returned from his morning run, Amy seized the moment—

"S-Sonic?"

Sonic immediately stopped in his tracks and walked over to her where she sat by the flowers, and sank down to his knees next to her. He smiled warmly as he stroked her cheek and gave her his full attention, cocking his brow sligthly. "You okay, Ames?"

Amy nodded and produced a smile of her own. "I'm okay, I was just thinking... could we go to Seaside Hill today? I'd like to get some new shells to decorate the flowersbeds with, and Seaside is the only beach that has those pretty pink ones.." It was such an innocent and silly request that she almost felt embarrassed to ask him of it. But the look she received was neither reluctant nor dismissive, in fact, his face shone and his smile widened even further.

"Of course, that's a great idea! Yeah, let's go pick some shells." It felt like a ton of bricks had just been dropped from Sonic's shoulders. Pure relief washed over him as he took her into his arms and kissed her forehead tenderly. "Anything you want, my rose!"

A few minutes later they had fetched a large rucksack, which Sonic carried on his shoulders while his arms naturally carried Amy. With swift steps he then took off into the wide stretched meadows and rolling hills.

The wind blew past their ears and rushed beneath his feet so that it almost felt as if he was flying by, each step placed with utter preciseness. It were in these moments that he became one with the wind - with the very world itself. All of his senses blended together in sweet harmony until all his attention were focused strictly ahead. And due to his extraordinary speed he always had to be at least a couple of miles ahead of himself, constantly prepared for the next turn or the next hilltop or whatever it might be that came in his way.

When alone, he would often amuse himself by pulling off risky and breakneck stunts in order to futher challange his own senses. Running thorugh giant loop-de-loops was an absolute favorite of his, and had been ever since he was a young child growing up in Green Hill. There they made up most of the landscape, in fact. But with Amy in his arms he solely focused on not hitting anything, despite the chances being very low of him even gracing as much as a pebble in the wrong way. She clung to him, not in a freigthened way but in a way that she'd done countless of times before - arms around his neck and head pressed to his chest, her face half buried into it. Sometimes she'd close her eyes, causing her to appear sleeping while other times, when she thought he wasn't aware, she'd simply gaze at him.

And during these runs her only request was to be held in such a way that her head rested against his left side.

In his early teens Sonic had once inquired as to why she always insisted on it, thinking of it as insiginficant. The answer, however, showed to be far more embarrassing than he'd thought. " _So that I can listen to your heart_." - Amy had responded honestly and completely unabashed.

So now, years later, it had become a natural habit that went without saying.

Seaside Hill were located along the north west coast, almost an hour long run in Sonic's restricted tempo. Which was neccessary as Amy's body couldn't handle the extreme amount of velocity for longer periods of time. And as soon as Sonic halted near one of the many steep cliffsides, she sighed in relief over having finally arrived.

Below them the wide ocean laid shimmering and crystal blue with countless isles, high and low, spread across as far as the eye could reach. A tropical paradise of swaying palmtrees, grassy fields and white beaches that one could easily get lost in. Integrated with the landscape were also ruins made out of white and red stone, some still standing proudly while others were completely submerged in water. It was hard to tell what the architecture had once resembled simce most of it was long gone but most roads and loop-de-loops, acting as bridges between the isles, still were intact.

Sonic, having explored every corner of the place multiple times, naturally knew his way around and trekked the surroundings with ease. He took Amy to an especially gorgeous beach where he was sure there'd be plenty of pink shells for her to pick. There he set her down and watched her reaction with great satisfaction.

Amy's face shone brighter than the sun as she playfully twirled in little circles along the shore, kicking her feet so that water splashed around her ankles. The refreshing sensation made her giggle and soon her skirt were fully sprinkled by water. "Oh Sonic, this is wonderful!" She exclaimed.

"Just watch out for orcas!" Sonic called back jokingly.

But just as those words left his lips did an orca shot up from the depths mere meters away, flipping in the air before disappearing back into the ocean and thus causing a rather big wave to crash against their beach. Sonic then watched with shocked eyes as Amy, who had stood before him a second ago, now got washed away by the wave and pulled off into the deeper end.

"A-Amy!" He shouted in panic and without thinking rushed forth and dove head first into the water, clawing desperately for her.

Alas, no matter how much he flung his arms around or kicked his feet - Sonic the Hedgehog sunk like a rock. Sinking straight down to the ocean floor within mere seconds.

Luckily, he'd instinctively taken a deep breath before plunging himself into the depths and therefore didn't swallow any water. But none of that concerned him as his eyes feverishly shot in every direction, trying to catch sight of Amy.

"No, no, no... this can't be happening..!" Sonic thought helplessly as he once again tried to claw his way forward but to no avail. "I have to save her.. I have to-"

Suddenly he felt a pair of arms pull him upwards, back towards the surface. His first reaction was to resist but once he recognized Amy's slender arms around his torso he immediately tried to make himself lighter, which of course was rather futile.

Despite her small size Amy managed, with all her strength and help from the water, to pull Sonic onto shore where she then latched on to him for dear life. "Sonic, my darling, are you okay? Can you breathe?" She cried, shaking his shoulders.

Sonic uttered something between a cough and a high pitched wheeze, gesturing for her to let go of him which she instantly did, before managing to stutter forth—

"Y-yes, I think so..!"

"Why, oh why did you do that, Sonikku? You know you can't swim!"

"The wave-.. I thought you were in trouble."

There was a pause as Sonic sat himself up, only to get enveloped in a bear hug from Amy. She shook her head and planted multiple kisses on his cheek. "If you'd just waited a second you would have seen that I was fine, the wave just surprised me that's all." Then a sigh escaped her lips as she hugged him even closer. "You crazy hedgehog...!"

Sonic chuckled, returning the hug. "Love makes you do crazy things, remember? Not that I was much help anyway.."

"That's because you have a heart of gold." Amy whispered softly. "All people born with a heart of purest gold inside their chest sink like rocks in water."

"Then I'm lucky to have a guardian angel by my side."

Wrapped in each other's arms, and completely soaked to the bone, their eyes got fixed in a sudden modest gaze. Sonic was the first one to break the silence as he gently helped Amy back on her feet and offered her his hand.

"Come on, let's go pick those shells of yours."

And just as Sonic had predicted it didn't take long before they had filled the rugsack almost to the brim with pink shells. It would have taken even less time had it not been for that Amy insisted that only the finest and perfectly shaped shells would do. As a result, Sonic had to continuously ask of her approval to the ones he found. However, once he was done he amused himself by taking a run through the entirety of Seaside Hill.

Meanwhile Amy had remained back at the mainland, picking berries and mushrooms that grew at the edge of a nearby forest.

Spending the day away from home for the first time in days was somewhat of a relief to the girl. The sun seemed to shine even brighter out here and the fresh ocean breeze had a calming effect on her. And even though she absolutely adored her snug little cottage house among the meadows, she'd always dreamed of living closer to the sea. But due to Sonic's great reluctance, and preferance to rather view anything related to the ocean from afar, it was surely a hopeless dream. She wouldn't want to try and pursuade him anyhow.

Amy's hand reached out to pick a strawberry from the bush she was currently occupied with, when a flicky suddenly came flying down from a tree. It was sky blue in color, and landed on her shoulder without any hesitation. For a brief moment she thought she recognized the flicky, letting out a surprised breath.

"Birdie?"

The flicky only stared back at her while tilting it's head and chirping.

Realizing her mistake, Amy shook her head and said— "Sorry, I thought you were someone else. I have an old friend who looks almost just like you, though he carries a pendant." She picked up one of the berries, which she carried in her skirt, and offered it to the newcomer. "I bet you want a strawberry. Here you go, take one."

The flicky nodded its little head in delight before accepting the berry and quickly beginning to peck on it.

"You're really cute." Amy said, gently stroking its soft feathers with the very tip of her pinky, to which the flicky responds by briefly nuzzling its head against her cheek. This made her break into a fit of giggles, thus attracting even more flickies to flock around her. Soon she was busy feeding a whole dozen of them with strawberries, while those flickies who she'd already fed had begun fetching flowers for her as a way to show their appreciation.

It was truly a sight to behold.

Speaking of which, when Sonic arrived a couple minutes later, roused from his just finished thrill kick, he had to stop dead in his tracks in order to perceive the scene before him.

Settled among the forest's lush surroundings and several colorful flickies sat his fianceé. Barefoot and covered in flowers - petals adorning her head. On her blue skirt laid a handful of berries which she eagerly offered her company. The light that seemed to emit from her eyes when she saw him could easily have made even the sun blush - and inside his chest, Sonic could feel his heart pound heavily against his rib cage.

As he slowly made his way towards Amy, he could make out some of the words the flickies chirped to each other.

"That's Sonic the Hedgehog." One of them pointed out matter of factly. "The girl is his beloved."

"She is very kind, I think her name is Rose!" Another one chirped.

"These berries are super yummy!"

"Is she actually a _real_ rose, momma?"

"Make way everyone, he's coming towards us."

Several of the flickies followed this notion and drew back into the trees, yet some remained on the ground and watched in curiosity as Sonic bent down to his knees in front of Amy. They then watched even more intently as he gently cuped her face in his hands, and without uttering a single word, pressed his lips against hers.

"Strawberries.." He muttered to himself under his breath as he slowly drew his head back. There was a flirtatious tone in his voice and he flashed an almost boyish smirk. Amy, on the other hand, blushed madly and lightly slapped his shoulder before drawing back. Still, there had appeared a certain playfulness in her jade eyes and Sonic wasn't slow to catch on to it.

"Tut-tut, Sonikku! Don't go steal a girl's kiss like that."

"Your lips told me otherwise."

"Brute!"

"Temptress!"

"Slowpoke!"

"Okay, that's it - you're toast, Miss Rose!"

Both hedgehogs sprung to their feet, Amy being a mere second quicker which allowed her to run past Sonic and take off running towards the meadow behind him.

Being the gentleman that he was, Sonic waited until she got a good head start before ultimately beginning to set off after her.

It was a most playful chase and Amy frequently turned her head to stick her tongue out at her pursuer in between fits of giggles. Sonic, who wasn't even using a fraction of his usual speed, had settled for something akin to a jog, but still ran close enough to keep Amy at her toes. He didn't mind the slow pace and even pretended to stumble now and again or make excessively sharp drifts across the grass whenever she changed direction. Amy's chortling laugther echoed around the meadow, filling Sonic's heart with the simplest yet greatest of joys. The blue skirt and the straps of the bow fluttered behind her as she ran, and if Sonic merely stretched out his hand he could easily have caught a hold of the hem of the skirt.

Even if Amy was indeed a fast runner, probably above the average mobian due to her years of chasing after him, her running style was quite peculiar. Instead of keeping her arms and legs close to the body, she had them flailing around herself as if she was wading through water while her legs, being naturally pointed slightly inwards, kicked her feet high up in the air behind her. It also caused her to get fatiguated a lot faster. Sonic had many times thought about teaching her how to run properly and thus more effectively, though a part of him found it oddly endearing to watch her flail around like a little flicky. Yet, he made a mental note to suggest the idea at some point soon. Perhaps they could practice now and then during the summer.

He just hoped he'd have more time to spend with her than the previous one...

Robotnik had made sure to keep him busy through most of July and August. Not that the weather affected any of his plans, the climate on this part of Mobius was practically in the middle of an eternal summer and spring all year long. With winter and fall passing within the lapse of two months. However, Sonic had always held a soft spot for June especially.

Maybe it was pure coincidence but June had always been a good month for him.

His first meeting with Tails, suddenly giving him a little brother.

His birthday was the twenty third.

And two years earlier he'd proposed to Amy just a week after his birthday, on the very last day of June.

The thought took him aback slightly - it had almost gone exactly two years...

Instinctively, he decided to close the distance between them.

"Gotcha Amy!"

Sonic chuckled as he caught her in his arms and lifted her petite form slightly above the ground. It was very similar to the way she had used to catch him when they were younger. But now the roles were reversed.

"It's no fair!" Amy exclaimed but didn't sound the least bit displeased over having been caught. In fact, she giggled heartily while her cheeks flushed due to the rush.

Soon their lips found one another and they sealed in a tender kiss while Sonic stroked her cheek softly. He tilted her head upwards, thus deepening the kiss even further.

When they parted he held his usual goofy smile. "I could kiss you forever and still not feel like I've had enough." He whispered, rubbing his long nose against her buttom like one. Amy returned the gesture and leaned in closer.

Sonic then procedeed to rub his cheek against hers while also planting small butterfly kisses along her jawline. This caused Amy to utter half choked fits of giggles as she tried to squirm out of his embrace, but to no avail.

"Sonikku, stop it! It tickles, tee-hee!"

"Sorry, I just can't help myself. You're so soft..!"

"And you're prickly!"

They continued to play around until Sonic ultimately feigned to fall backwards into a large patch of forget-me-nots. Amy, who he'd pressed against his chest in order to protect her from the impact, landed on top of him while he in turn got covered in multiple little blue petals. One settling perfectly on the tip of his nose.

Underneath the clear sky and warm rays of sunshine they then cuddled together, watching as clouds passed by while eating the fruit and mushrooms Amy had kept in the rucksack as dinner, and decided that this part of meadow was a good spot to spend the night. Then while in the midst of talking of how they should visit the Rabbit's one of the coming days, Sonic suddenly straightened up. "I just remembered..!" He exclaimed, snapping his fingers, smiling ear to ear. "-We never finished that dance I promised ya'."

Amy's heart swelled with warmth as Sonic then proceeded to jump to his feet and extend his hand towards her, inviting her to his embrace. Without a second's notice she accepted his hand and soon they were so close two people could be. And with the beaming sunset performing as background, the young couple began to gently sway amongst the vast sea of flowers. Neither of them said a word, but no words were really needed. All they had to do was look into each other's eyes to understand what the other one was feeling.

The purest, most innocent form of love.

Amy was so overwhelmingly beautiful in the light of the setting sun that Sonic constantly had to remind himself to breathe. All his mind seemed to want to do was memorize every second of this image as well as every inch of Amy's face. Every possible shift of her features were to be detailed so that he at any given point in time would be able to go back and remember how she'd looked at this exact moment.

The kisses that were exchanged between them were soft and tender, as were the words that Sonic now and again whispered in Amy's ear which painted her cheeks rosy red.

These kinds of moments were especially dear to her heart.

She'd never admit it to him, but a lot of her nightmares where usually about losing him. That her life for the past two years had merely been a wonderful yet completely fabricated dream. If they got really bad she could even be left thinking her entire life together with Sonic had just been made up. That she'd wake up and find herself being nine years old again, alone - with no one in the entire world to count on. But at the same time it was just as easy to forget all such thoughts when she was in the midst of a scene that easily could've been taken out of one of her romance novels back home.

"Amy.."

Sonic's voice brought her back to a reality that's indeed very real. He gazed down at her while softly stroking her cheek with his thumb.

"What were you daydreaming of?" He had recongized the dreamy expression on her face. Past experiences with this girl had taugth him that her daydreams usually seemed to involve him in one way or another. Much probably due to old habits, he figured.

"Nothing special.." Amy said, her cheeks naturally taking on a rosy color. "Just thinking about how happy I am."

Sonic flashed a toothy smile. "Is that so?"

"And also what to get you for your birthday. It's less than three weeks away, you know! I've been meaning to ask what you wish for."

"Oh, right, my birthday." He chuckled lightheartedly before playfully twisting his face as if in deep thought. "Hmm, well I could always use a new pair of socks..."

"Sooonic..!"

"One mustn't underestimate the importance of a good pair of socks."

"Fine, I'll buy you socks. Anything else?"

Truth be told, Sonic hadn't given much thought about his approaching birthday, even less what he could possibly wish for.

When looking into Amy's eyes it was hard to imagine how he could ever wish for anything else than her.

Freedom? He had the entire world within the grasp of his hand. He could run and go wherever he wanted to - no sweat! He could probably explore every last inch of the planet, scour mountains, plains and jungles. Cross oceans. Rake the skies. And even if years went by he'd still have time to do it all over again. For the longest time he'd thought that commiting himself to another person was a one way ticket to take away that freedom. That, like iron shackles, it would tie him down to the ground, a way of slowly but surely breaking him apart until nothing would be left of himself. But the honest truth Sonic had been forced to ultimately face was that commitment didn't bind him - it liberated him.

Opening his heart to people had gained him invaluable experiences and bonds of friendship that went beyond time and space, and even death.

Blaze, Silver, Marine, Shahra, Caliburn, Vanilla, Cream... Chip, and many more.

In Tails he'd found a friend, a best friend - a brother.

In Knuckles a friendly rival that, despite their differences, he considered one of his closest allies.

And in Amy he'd found love. a truer love than he'd ever thought possible.

They all resided within his heart without making him feel the least bit burdened.

Their strong bonds elevated him above the ground and gave his life a greater meaning - a purpose.

"Just socks will be fine."

Amy responded by letting out a sigh and shaking her head in disapproval.

"Hey now, I can still ask for that delicious red velvet cake of yours!" Sonic suggested, giving her a wink.

"But I do that every year!"

"Yeah, but I never ask for em', so this year I'm putting it on the top of my wishlist. That way you already have your gift to me all set, clever right?"

Amy's head slumped down against his chest in defeat, though a smile still rested upon her lips. "Sonic.."

After having watched the last rays of the sun disappear behind the hills, they laid down in the softest spot in the meadow they could find.

Amy had taken off the skirt and blouse, only leaving on her petticoat and the sheer linen she'd worn underneath. Meanwhile Sonic had gotten into a comfortable position among the grass and wild flowers, gently drawing Amy down to rest on top of him. And as she lowered her frail body onto his he got enveloped by her delicate softness - their chests lightly pressed together with her head safely tucked below his chin.

"I'll keep you warm." He whispered in her ear.

The starry sky laid broad and clear above them, a deep, dark blue infinity that covered the two hedgehogs like a blanket. Warm winds occasionally swept by, but for the most part the meadow was completely still and silent. Sonic let out a content sigh, cause truth be told - it felt good to sleep outside again. Not that he minded the bed at home but he'd always felt a greater satisfaction sleeping outside. One could hear how nature too would come to rest and how all the critters scurried back into their burrows and nests, preparing for the night. The silent rippling of a brook. The distant sea. The wind through the trees. Even the nocturnal woodland creatures' hushed activities.

By old habit, Amy's hands began aimlessly trailing slightly downwards until they found what they'd been searching for. Her fingers danced lightly upon his abdomen as she traced over the latest scar that had been inflicted on his body, the jab from Metal's claw. A jab he had taken for her. That fact alone made her almost burst into tears - he sacrificed a lot to be with her.

Amy glanced up at him with soft eyes. "Does it hurt?" She asked, her voice barely above the sound of the gentle breeze.

"Not at all." Sonic answered truthfully. His body seemed to heal much faster than the average person, and even in the moment fresh wounds never pained him too much. He could take great falls, blows and punches without feeling much at all. Tails' had once suggested it might have something to do with the chaos energy he naturally harbored inside himself, and that it somehow protected him and strengthened his endurance. A likely theory, Sonic figured, since positive chaos energy did indeed have the ability to heal ones wounds if foucused correctly. The positive energy in turn came from happy thoughts, memories and emotions such as joy, hope, serenity, and above all - love.

Scars, however, would always be left behind as a testimony of the pain that he'd endured for the sake of it.

As of now, the soft touch of Amy's delicate hands upon Sonic's scarred torso threatened to awaken the curious desire that slumbered inside the heart of a young man. The memory of their second night spent together since he's come back had nearly given both of them a heart attack. He knew he'd been careless that night, still, the pleasure he'd felt had been worth the all possible ambivalent feelings a hundred times over.

Only by reminding himself of his promise did he seem to return back to reality.

Amy was fragile... and his desire to protect her overweighed all others.

Sonic gazed down at his beloved. Her faint, flutter-like heartbeats and soft breathing left him yet again realizing that there was truly nothing more to possibly desire from this moment. Her mere presence was enough. And as she nestled closer in his arms, he responded by kissing her forehead. "You should sleep, Ames." He endorsed. "I'll stay awake."

"I don't know if I can."

"Are you scared?"

She smiled. "I'm never scared when I'm with you."

"Of the nightmares." He urged gently.

"It's-.. It's okay, they're only bad dreams. Besides I've had the same one for such a long time now that I really should be used to it."

"For how long?"

"Ever since we first met and Metal kidnapped me, I remember I was so scared that I'd never get to see you again or that you'd get hurt trying to rescue me. And I guess that fear has always stuck with me."

Sonic contemplated her words for a second, not particularly surprised, albeit somewhat troubled. The day they first met had truly been the best yet worst day of their lives.

"I remember thinking that you were the cutest thing I'd ever seen." He admitted in an attempt to steer her thoughts to more brighter memories.

"Don't be silly, you were terrified of me!"

"Only because I'd never met anyone like you. Heck, I'd never even seen a girl before! I was used to woodland creatures and Tails - Robotnik even made more sense to me than you! I mean, ponder that for a sec."

Amy giggled as Sonic made wide theatrical gestures with his arms causing her to almost fall off his body, but once he finished he wrapped an arm back around her waist. He then gazed fondly at her as her giggling settled and instead a yawn escaped her.

"I might not have known you'd be the girl I'd turn out to one day propose to. But I never doubted that you were somehow meant for me...-" His lips softly pressed against hers right before they both gave into the sleep, Sonic's last words being—

"-and that I was made to protect you..."

That night, no red eyes haunted Amy Rose's dreams for the first time in days.

* * *

The first thing Tails awoke to in the morning was the sound of the morning news' merry jingle. He'd forgotten to turn the radio off last night and now he jolted awake, having fallen asleep head down on the desk while sitting in a most uncomfortable position. Papers went sliding down to the floor as he sloppily heaved himself into an upright position and fumbled after the volume buttom on the radio. Once he found it he turned it to the left, lowering the announcer's chipper voice into a mumble instead.

Tails rubbed the sleep from his eyes and turned his head toward the digital clock that stood at the edge of his desk. The neon green numbers informed him that it was just past six in the morning. He groaned inwardly at the sight. Surely the last time he'd looked at the clock before blacking out it had been about two o'clock. Four hours of sleep was hardly something to brag about, and he could practically already hear his friend Amy's voice scold him about it. His older brother Sonic would probably be more understanding on the matter, not that he could say anything. When Sonic had been his age he'd prioritized sleeping about as much as he'd done cleaning.

With sluggish movements, Tails brewed himself a cup of coffe, plopped two sugar cubes into it before making his way back to the work desk. With the press of a buttom on a remote he opened the wide garage door in order to let the early morning in. Immediately the entire workshop bathed in the warm sunlight coming from outside. He leaned back in his chair with a content sigh escaping his lips, basking in the sun while sipping on his coffee.

Soon Tails felt how his brain began ta come around, which probably was much thanks to the caffeine kicking in, and he could recall what he'd been doing before succumbing to his sleep.

It was, in fact, the same thing he'd been doing for a while now - namely playing around with different types of blueprints for a new plane.

Tails loved his biplane the "Tornado" above all else, except for his brother and sister-in-law of course, and would rather cut off his own arm than having to part with it. But with recent happenings, and what he feared would happen in a not so distant future, the times called for an upgraded and more techincally advanced plane. And after all - two are better than one.

" _-And now for today's weather forecast_.."

Instinctively, Tails spun around in his chair and turned the volume up a bit.

"- _Windy Valley, seventy-seven degrees, wind estimation - thirty-two to fourty-six mph. Mystic Ruins, eighty-nine degrees, wind estimation - four to seven mph. Clear skies. Station Square_ —"

The announer's voice once again faded away into the background, as Tails had sprung to his feet, exclaiming exitedly to himself and the Tornado- "You hear that? It's the perfect weather for a morning flight! Imma just grab my goggles and-.." He gulped down a big clunk of coffee, wiped his mouth with his arm before then hurrying over to the coat hanger next to the front door. There hung multiple pairs of goggles, knitted scarves, worn out shirts, and the best of all; his pilot jacket. The jacket was made out of brown leather that had become soft and comfortable of age. It had been a birthday gift from Sonic when he'd turned ten, originally a few sizes too big, but with the promise from his older brother that he'd eventually grow into it.

And that he did.

Tails ran up a wooden spiral staircase, leading up to a loft that he'd made into a cozy sleeping quarter. There were countless books in tall piles reaching almost all the way up to the roof, a small tv with a paused video game evident on the static screen, an old toy chest that was now used as a place to dump various objects on. Above the unmade bed was a window, and upon the sill stood a single flower pot among a bunch of photo frames, all containing pictures of his friends.

Walking over to the mirror above his nightstand, Tails smiled at his own reflection, goggles in place and with the jacket on. It fit perfectly!

Out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of his telescope, leaning against the wall next to the books. He'd always liked to go nightscaping, but now it had been a while since he'd last done it. Maybe he should invite Sonic and Amy to come with him some night. They could probably all need it. At least It would surely cheer Amy up - she liked to watch for any shooting stars, whereas Sonic, who had found himself in outer space well more than once, rarely got impressed and instead recounted all the times he'd fallen face first towards Mobius' stratosphere. Yet, he always insisted that he somehow managed to land on his feet and without as much as a scratch.

Tails did indeed love his older brother, but at times he could be a bit theatrical, which on the other hand could be quite funny at times. He chuckled lowly to himself, but just as he was about to return down the stairs, his ears suddenly flicked.

A raw, icing cold laughter echoed through the workshop which caused Tails to freeze in his step.

It took his brain a second to realize that the person laughing was not actually in the room itself. Instead it came from the radio and as soon as the laugther died down, the same voice began to speak—

" _Citizens of Station Square, lend me your ears_.."

That voice.

A voice Tails, and surely countless others, would recognize even in their sleep.

Doctor Ivo Robotnik...

" _I do believe you are all well aware of who I am at this point - the greatest scientific mind of all time - the rightful ruler of the entirety of Mobius... I am addressing all of you now as I require something_..-"

There was a static pause, and without really being able to pin point it, Tails knew that something was wrong. Robotnik didn't sound like his usual self. There was now goofy tone or exaggerated expositions. Just cold, dominating and factual.

For the first time he really sounded like a very, very tired and old man.

"- _Sonic the Hedgehog_." He uttered the name as if it had been a foul and highly vulgar swear word. " _You know what I want. And I expect you to deliever it to me nice and willingly. Should you refuse, I would be forced to harm the good people of Station Square in a most gruesome way.. And neither of us want that, do we?_ "

Yet another pause followed, longer this time.

Meanwhile, Tails had managed to walk down the stairs and now slowly approached the radio, as if he was afraid that it would explode if he got too close too fast.

Robotnik continued, his voice barely holding together—

" _I will arrive in Station Square, three days from now. Make sure to meet me, Sonic the Hedgehog - I can assure you don't want to miss it. I know I will look forward to it with great anticipation_..."

A last static sound was heard before the last whispered words rang out.

" _Expect me_."

Then the radio turned dead silent.

* * *

" _This is not the place for high heels_."

That was the first thought that had entered Rouge the Bat's mind as she'd stepped out onto the station floor and with slight horror in her eyes obseved the surroundings. It was the end of the line of a very, very long train ride.

Not that where she stood could even qualify as a proper station, more like a bench with a small sign next to it that announced that you'd just arrived to " _Floral Forest Village_ ". But just as the station, one could hardly call it a village. The nearest houses was so far off that one had to squint their eyes in order to see them, and there were only two dirt roads leading from the station. The smaller one of the two lead east, in the direction of the supposed village, while the bigger one stretched south and seemed to have no end to it.

The only sign of life was a wrinkled old dog who sat under the shade of a tree, reading a newspaper. He had rolled up the sleeves of his shirt and wore a pair of yellow shorts with red dots on. On top of his head he wore a straw hat, which he lifted upwards slightly when he noticed the stranger that just arrived with the afternoon train.

In lack of any direction, the station provided no map of the area and since her boss hadn't given her anything else than the name of the village, Rouge approached the dog.

"Hello there, my good gent. Splendid afternoon we're having, eh?"

The dog eyed her uniform, especially the G.U.N emblem on her jacket, and while he did straigthen up his back a bit he didn't look intimidated. He lowered the newspaper and said— "We sure are, ma'am."

"Allow me to introduce myself; I'm agent Rouge-" She dug up a card from within her inner jacket pocket and showed it to him. Various identification details were printed on it as well as a picture of herself. "I'm here on the authority of G.U.N, and I'm in need to locate Sonic the Hedgehog who is said to reside somewhere in this area. Do you by any chance know where he might be at?"

A look of recongnition flashed in the dog's eyes for a brief moment until he quickly masked it, shrugging his broad shoulders. He seemed unsure of how much he should reveal to this, to him, unknown woman. "That boy is famous for being hard to get a hold of.."

"Oh, trust me - I know." Rouge said, flashing a charming smile that caused the old man's face to shift slightly. "Hero boy is an old associate of mine. We've collaborated on a number of occasions, though unfortunately it was long since now that our paths crossed."

She watched the dog simply nod before continuing in a more serious tone.

"But considering recent events it's important that I find him as soon as possible."

Once again, the man's face changed. It looked somber. "I heard it on the news this morning... You people will put a stop to that mad man right?"

"G.U.N does everything to keep all the citizens of Mobius safe."

The words came out of her mouth before she even knew it. She was obligated to say stuff like that and had been trained to memorize the lie. Well, a lie with modifications at least.

Rouge made sure to lean forward deep enough so that her chest became prominent as she then spoke with a sugary sweet voice, that still couldn't completely hide her usual edge. "So, my good sir, could you kindly point me in the direction of his house?"

"H-he lives with his fianceé, a Miss Rose, over at old Sunset Meadow. Just head straigth on the road the whole time until you reach a small cottage with a white picket fence." He raised a hand and pointed off towards the broad dirt road. "It's roughly an hour walk from here by foot."

As if on cue, Rouge spread her wings and rose to the sky where she gave him a pleased smirk along with a wink.

"Thank you, dearie. G.U.N appreciates your cooperation."

She saluted him and immediately took to the sky.

"Y-you did say you were acquainted, didn't you?" The old dog called out after her, slowly starting to feel guilty over having been swayed by the beautiful bat. He thought of Amy Rose. A sweet and kind girl that would always greet him when they passed each other in the village market or when she'd take the train. And among the few local villagers it was no secret that the world renowned Sonic the Hedgehog had settled down in the area about two years prior. Engaged to the girl in question.

Now he was concerned for what that woman might actually want with her and her fiancé.

However, Rouge had already left the man behind her, shifting her focus back to the blue blur. By using her wings she'd probably reach him two times faster than if she went by foot.

Small cottage with white picket fence..

That description was close to nothing but judging by the lack of people who seemed to live here it couldn't be too hard. Besides, the guy had said to just follow the road and eventually she'd get there.

She still didn't understand why those dimwits back at the headquarters hadn't just given her the exact location of the place. Surely Sonic the Hedgehog's home address wasn't a national secret. If time had been given she would have even looked it up herself but her boss had insisted she got going right away with nothing but the name of the closest train station to go by. Not even a helicopter could they afford to transport her with.

"Taking the local train.." Rouge thought sourly. "Like some lowly laborer."

Once she got back she would march straight up to that idiotic General's office and give him a piece of her mind.

For almost fifteen minutes she didn't encounter even so much as another mobian. Only flower filled meadows, babbling brooks and wide, grassy fields as far as the eye could see, not to mention the constant sound of chirping flickies. How someone could chose to live out here by their own free will was beyond her. Sure, the landscape could be considered serene and peaceful but after a while one must found it most tideous and all too quiet. She figured that after just a couple of days she'd go mad living in a place like this.

But just as began debating whether or not the old dog had lied to her, Rouge saw how a cottage emerged further up the road. It was so picturesque and modest in size that it almost completely blended together with the surroundings. Like an oil painting that depicted the idyll of living out on the country side. There actually even was a white picket fence going around the cottage to fully complete the cliché. Getting closer she also saw the rose garden, fruit trees and a small greenhouse. She landed a short distance from it and began to walk the last few steps up to the front gate.

A mailbox that stood right outside the fence simply read "Rose" in hand-painted, cursive letters.

Well, at least she was at the right place.

Rouge walked through the gate and up to the green painted wooden door, pausing briefly before knocking. After a few seconds the door slowly creaked open, revealing none other than Amy Rose herself. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen the young girl. It must've been at least two years ago, if not more. However, she looked just as innocently childlike and fragile as ever, clad in a petticoat dress that even further emphasized the effect.

"Rouge?" Her voice, though a bit more mature than she recalled, still held a slight high pitched tone to it. Meanwhile, Amy's surprised features told Rouge that she was probably the last person she'd expected to appear at her porch.

"Amy Rose. Long time no see."

The fact that Amy was more than a head shorter than herself made Rouge feel as if she was addressing a child.

"It sure was, eh, what brings you here?"

"I have some business with your-"

It was then that she saw it. Amy had lifted her left arm to brush away at her quills and it was there, on her left hand, she saw something golden twinkle in the afternoon sun. Rouge's eyes got drawn to it by pure instinct, a subconscious reflex.

She immediately recongized it as nothing less than a ring. Most likely an engagement ring considering the placement.

Had Sonic actually proposed to this girl? Gone down on one knee and proclaimed some sort of everlasting love?

Engaged to his childhood sweetheart...

The thought was both highly incredulous and somewhat comical, but yet here she was.

Why hadn't Rouge been told beforehand? Surely those bastards knew.

What were those people back at G.U.N playing at exactly? Shock value?

All these thoughts ran through her mind within less than a minute all while she figured that she had to reevaluate the situation, and that was quick.

Speaking of which, like a wind he swept forth, suddenly standing in the door opening like he'd just popped into existence - Sonic the Hedgehog.

Rouge couldn't help but eye him with slight peaked interest.

He was no doubt good-looking, more so than the average guy, with his agile figure and subtle abs. Attractive in that rebellious kind of way - scars which could be seen if one looked close enough and windswept quills that likely never let themselves be tamed. Compared to his fianceé he looked fully matured and still very much capable of jumping into danger at any given moment. Unfortunately, a golden band was also evident on his left hand, but which at least confirmed her suspicions.

"Well, if it isn't the great hero himself." Rouge said while Sonic almost instinctively seemed to place himself in front of Amy - like a guard dog. "Good to see you again, Big Blue."

Once he recongized her, he blinked in equal surprise to that of his fianceé. "Rouge? I almost couldn't tell it was you in that get-up." He gestured at her uniform.

She wasn't wearing the regular G.U.N uniform that most people of her rank did. It looked custom-made and was probably tailored just for her - with a skirt that reached just above her knees and with a slits going up the middle. She also wore a low cut jacket with seemingly only a bra underneath. Her gloves looked far too silky to be of any real use and on the top of her head she wore a small side cap. Everything in the G.U.N's typical navy blue color.

"Hm, well I see you still prefer going commando." Rouge replied, grinning. "But I will admit that it is indeed refreshing."

For a moment it looked as if Sonic was about to burst into laughther, but then his eyes fell on the G.U.N emblem and he tensed up again although he still kept his smile. "I hope you're not here to accuse me of another bank robbery, cause you should know I don't do too well with helicopters." He jokingly stuck his head out and observed the skies in search for one. "You don't got one parked out there, do ya?"

"Unfortunately, no. The lovely gentlemen back at the office thought I should explore the joys of public transport."

"What, not even a car? Are things really that tight over there that they can't even get their top agents traveling in style."

"We all need to make sacrifices sometimes."

Amy, who had remained quiet behind Sonic's right arm this whole time, suddenly piped up. Smiling kindly at Rouge. "Why don't we sit down and talk out in the garden?" She suggested. "I'll go make us some tea."

"I'd be delighted to, hun." Rouge agreed.

With a nod the pink girl then hurried off into the cottage.

Sonic gestured for Rouge to enter, but just as they were about half way through the living room he abruptly came to a halt. He quickly turned around and gave her a cautious yet surprisingly stern look.

"You don't carry any guns or whatever, right?"

"I'm not obligated to reveal any concealed weapons according to G.U.N protocol, but you're of course more than welcome to search me." As if on cue, Rouge efficiently stretched her arms out to the sides while giving Sonic a sultry look.

To her ego's surprised letdown, he didn't even look the slightest bit tempted by the offer. "I'll take your word for it." He said in a terse tone before following Amy into kitchen.

After having settled down outside at a wooden table with Sonic opposite of herself and waiting for Amy with the tea, Rouge occupied herself by sneaking glances around garden. A well kept lawn. Flowers as far as the eye could see. Roses. Wind chimes and birdhouses. A willow tree with a swing hanging from one of it's branches. Bushes filled with berries. Even more roses...

The whole place was something more akin to a fairy-tale utopia than an actual garden.

Rouge shot a glance at Sonic, as if expecting him to also look around in bewilderment of his surroundings, but he merely raised an eye ridge back at her.

However, she decided to remain silent.

From inside the kitchen she heard how Amy was busy with something probably more than just tea.

And right she was—

The young girl came back with a tray consisting of three tea cups, platters and spoons along with a sugar bowl, creamer and teapot. All made of white porcelain with a floral pattern printed on it. On a glass plate stood a small yet generously decorated blackberry cake. When Amy offered her a cup of tea she accepted it, thinking of how much she'd rather have a big mug of coffee right about now.

" _Focus, Rouge_." She mentally told herself.

Out loud she then said—

"I must say I'm deeply hurt by not getting invited to the wedding. What happened to the good old 'friendship is forever'- thing?"

"Oh, we're only engaged, not married." Amy hastily explained, her cheeks taking on a rosy hue.

"Yet." Rouge added with a grin, directing a wink at Sonic, who remained unaffected.

Before things could escalate any further Amy quickly changed the subject. "How's Shadow doing?" She asked.

At that, Rouge gave the pink girl a thoughtful look. She knew that those two had had some weird connection, or understanding rather, ever since that one time on the ARK where she'd supposedly reminded him of a long forgotten promise to his dead friend. She'd convinced him to help save Mobius. Given him a reason to care again.

But whatever that might've been about she never fully understood. Shadow never spoke of Amy Rose, and Rouge never had a reason to bring her up. Whenever they did get a chance to talk nowadays it was rarely anything other than business. And those times they got together outside work they engaged in less talkative activities.

"Oh that old brute.." Rouge began, making a small flick of her hand dismissively. "When G.U.N's not keeping him busy, I am - if you catch my drift, hun."

To her great amusement Amy only stared back, clearly puzzled.

 _"So Sonic hasn't even got it on with her yet_?" The thought made her almost laugh out loud.

She stole a glance at the male and noted how he shot her a disliking glare, but she ignored him and turned her focus back to Amy, who had averted her eyes down at the table.

"Just... Please, If you see him, tell him that we hope he's doing all right. And that he's more than welcome to come visit us whenever he likes."

Her request sounded so genuine that Rouge didn't have the heart to tell her the truth. That Shadow would probably rather blow his head to bits than to voluntarily set his foot over the threshold of Sonic the Hedgehog's home. So instead she settled on the most neutral thing she could think of— "Will do."

They began eating a slice each of the cake in silence. Rouge took small sips of tea while stealing glances of the couple over the rim of her cup. She took particular notice of how Sonic's eyes had a habit of drifting over to Amy and how he wordlessly doted on her from time to time - like brush a stray quill from her face or draw himself closer to her, as if she was a magnet. Rouge was used to being the attraction of every male, to have their eyes sneak glances at her or shamelessly gawk at every curve of her body. Whether they admitted to it or not, she knew they desired her in some way or another. It could indeed be tiresome and annoying at times, especially if the onlooker weren't up to her standards. But mostly it was entertaining to watch men fawn over her, to make even the most respectable of guys to stumble over their words in her presence.

Sonic wasn't like that. Not even when he'd been an impressionable teenager, filled with surely raging hormones, had he not so much as even stolen a cheeky glance at her when he thought she wasn't looking.

But the way he looked at Amy now..

Rouge knew women who would be green of envy just by the mere way he gazed at that girl. Not even the most cynical of minds could doubt that the look on his face was nothing but sheer, genuine love. The foreign feeling of jealousy found its way into her heart. An icy twinge of resentment also settled there while she tried to maintain an unaffected posture.

"So, to the business at hand." Rouge began in a more formal tone which revealed nothing of her previous thoughts. "I trust you're aware of Robotnik's little spectacle over at Station Square this morning?"

Amy, who had been in the midst of a sip, got an anxious expression on her face. "Yeah, Tails told us all about it, and we watched a reprise of it on the news just a few hours ago." Her hand sought out Sonic's and he grasped it, their fingers immediately intertwining.

"As you surely understand, G.U.N can't just remain idle and let these sort of threats go by without major actions being taken as a response..-"

Sonic's head abruptly shot up.

"Unless their directed at some unsignificant place half way across Mobius, am I right?" He almost spat forth. "I just got back from a village outside of Chun-nan being targeted by Robotnik's latest set of murder machines, and I don't remember seeing anyone from G.U.N stepping in to help."

At the word "murder machines", Amy notably flinched and Sonic instantly regretted the slip up. Rouge, however, seemed unaffected and continued as if he hadn't just interrupted her.

"-.. And we figured you would feel the same way. Station Square is after all a bit too close to home, don't you think?" She purposely rested her eyes on Amy. The pink girl returned the stare, as if in defiance, and said—

"I'm not scared of Robotnik."

Rouge resisted the urge to laugh.

"Bold words coming from you, hun."

"I've helped take him down since I was eight. Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and I have faced him more times than you, and none of us are afraid to do it again."

"Yes, I imagine skipping barefoot around your little garden of roses, picking flowers every day really must be tiresome." Rouge's voice was dripping with sarcasm as she made a sweeping gesture at the garden around them.

"Rouge.." Now it was Sonic, he muttered low and warningly.

"I don't-.." Amy began but quieted down when Rouge suddenly leaned slightly across the table and stared her dead in the eye. A sly smirk gracing her lips.

"You have no idea what's going on, do you?" She shot Sonic such a hasty glance that it was barely visable but Amy still flinched when she saw and instinctively drew back. "I-I..-"

"That's enough." Sonic interrupted firmly, as he glared at Rouge with a frown on his face. "Leave Amy alone. You came to speak with me, remember, so say what you came to say before I lose my patience."

"Are you sure you want doll face around, it's an adult conversation after all."

"She stays."

"Fine. Have it your way." Rouge said, tired of beating around the bush. "Our new Commander wants to see you."

Sonic blinked. "What happened to the old one?"

"Retirement, Sonic - it's a thing people usually do once they're in their seventies. He's currently residing over in Central City, taking care of his many grandchildren, I'm sure."

"What for then?"

"Well he didn't exactly give me a copy of the list, but an educated guess would be that he probably wants to know if you're planning to do anything idiotic that will put Station Square at any further risk."

Sonic snorted in response. "Then tell your boss I got everything under control. I can handle old Robotnik with or without their help, thanks."

"Well isn't that big of you.." Rouge shot back. Eyeing him with a skeptical look. "But pissing on an outstretched hand from G.U.N will hardly benefit the people of Station Square, or yourself for that matter. They don't take too kindly to being rejected."

"I bet they don't, I'm sure that's why they sent you."

"Don't flatter yourself too much, hedgehog, your ego might explode."

Sonic and Rouge got locked in a heated glare, neither budging an inch.

"Sonic..."

It was yet again Amy's soft voice breaking through the frosty mood. She had clutched Sonic's arm with her own slender pair, giving him a pleading look which he forced himself to meet. "Maybe you should listen to her. If Robotnik is truly serious about his threats then maybe it wouldn't be so bad to accept help from G.U.N. What harm could it do to just meet this new Commander, for Station Square's sake at least."

Reluctantly, Sonic drew back in his seat while contemplating her words. He didn't look angry, just torn. Was he really going to simply bow to the will of G.U.N? Hadn't he taken down Robotnik all by himself countless times without their involvment before? Why were they suddenly so keen on meeting him?

Ultimately, he decided that Amy was probably right. Surely just meeting the guy couldn't hurt...

However, he refused to turn his head back and face Rouge when he finally said—

"Fine, I'll do it. When does he wanna meet me?"

The smirk on Rouge's face couldn't possibly have been any more broad.

"Oh, he's already expecting you."

* * *

 **Credits:**

 **" _Rose Room_ " - Harry Williams**


End file.
